White Plain
by kebzero
Summary: Shounen Ai. Heero and Duo have been dispatched far north to investigate a remote OZ R&D facility. They end up discovering quite a bit more than expected.
1. Thaw

  
**White Plain**   
#1 - Thaw   
  
_Contents/Warnings:_ Take two scoops Shounen Ai, mix in a wee bit of violence and a drop or two of blood. Add some OOC-ishness while stirring the mix. Bake for a period of TWT. Flavor with sap and angst according to taste and mood. Enjoy the result, if you can.   
_Pairing:_ 1+2/2+1   
_Disclaimer:_ Gundam Wing is the property of Sotsu Agency/Sunrise. No profits were made in writing this.   
  
  
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AN: Okay, I wrote the first three chapters some time ago ( Feb/Mar/May respectively - and yes, I write that slowly without sufficient feedback and/or consistent nag- err, encouragement ), and now I sit wondering whether or not I should finish this would-be mini-arc. _If_ you read these first few chapters, please let me know if it's worth continuing. This slow substandard scribbler needs feedback to write, be it good or bad, brief or wordy, given in pity or for praise. And yes, you are by all means allowed to tell me how much you loathe this piece of c- ...text - after all, without critique, how could improvement come about? Ah, enough of this. On with the story. 

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The controls of Wing shuddered as another gust of the gale force winds attempted to topple it out of control. Normally, flying through blizzards, even violent ones like this one, presented no problem. However, with the extra weight currently carried, Wing's operational efficiency was reduced. In the corner of his right eye, Heero noted the incoming transmission from said excess baggage. 

"Hey, Heero - how much further to the safe house? It's getting chilly in here." 

"Not long. A few minutes." 

"About time. Deathscythe and I are tired of just 'hanging out' down here. I want to _move_!" 

As if to demonstrate, Duo shook the controls of Deathscythe, as if attempting to pull the gundam up by the right arm currently clutching Wing's undercarriage. The movement caused another shudder. 

"Knock it off. It's hard enough to get through this snowstorm without you adding to the difficulty." 

On the side monitor, Duo grinned. 

"Don't get all fussed up, I was only joking. Sheesh..." 

Heero didn't reply. It would be futile. Always looking for the right buttons to push, attempting to find that one little thing that'd push his current target over the threshold of tolerable annoyance, to spark a reaction - typically Duo. Heero was becoming used to the American's constant efforts at getting a laugh, often on someone's - his - expense. It has almost seized bothering him - almost. However, adding turbulence to an already bumpy flight, and by doing so possibly endangering the mission? Unacceptable. 

------- 

Locating the safe house proved difficult. From a high altitude, the entire area was an endless flat plain of white, obscured by the heavy snowfall. At tree-top level, on the other hand, small elevations in the snow-covered landscape became visible - but only within a short distance. One such heap was their safe house - a cottage buried beneath Mother Nature's cold sheet. Heero set Deathscythe down, and landed Wing next to it. Both machines sank down in the soft snow, all beneath the knee joints buried in the crystallized water. 

"Where's the log house?" 

Heero just nodded, indicating the pile of snow in front of them with his forehead. If one looked carefully enough, the reddish-brown bricks of the lodge's pipe peered out of all the white. 

"Oh, _great_. Good thing we packed shovels." 

------- 

After digging for nearly an hour, they came upon wood. Splintered wood. Piles of it. Duo groaned. 

"Don't tell me... The damn safe house has collapsed." 

"No." 

"O-kay... then where's the safe house? I take it we weren't supposed to build it on arrival..." 

"The cabin is right-" Heero took his shovel, thrusting it into the snow behind the pile, piercing through to the wooden wall behind with an audible thud. "-there." 

"Finally, some _good_ news." 

"This wood is most likely for the fireplace." 

"Yeah, but it's useless - it's completely soaked. There had better be something burnable inside, or we'll freeze to death." 

Judging from the position of the pipe, they reasoned they had struck the eastern wall. According to the sketch of the house they'd been shown during their briefing, the door was on the southern side. Recommencement of shoveling began. Two hours later, they had finally found and cleared the door. 

------- 

The cabin was filled with total darkness, snow pressing against the few windows carved in the log walls. Opposite of the door was the fireplace. Inside, a big, black cast-iron pan hanging by a hook. Two buckets, one of red plastic, empty, one of gray metal, filled with ice - solid ice - stood in front of it. On either side, there was neat stacks of wood - dry, burnable wood. At least, they wouldn't freeze to death....right away. In each corner of the north side was a bed. On the right side of the door, there was a bench with a wash basin. On the other side, there was another door, slightly ajar, facing south. In the center of the log house, an old table with four chairs had been placed. Along the walls, a few old kerosene lamps hung, layers of dust telling how long it had been since they were last lit. After starting a fire and lighting a few of the lamps, they went back to their gundams to pick up the rest of their supplies. 

------- 

Unpacking his stuff on the right side of the fireplace, Duo continued to show his annoyance with the current mission. 

"Why the heck did they send us up here to the middle of nowhere - during a freakin' blizzard, for cryin' out loud?" 

"Have you forgotten the briefing already?" 

"Nah. I remember. We're in the middle of nowhere 'cause there's an OZ R&D base at the edge of nowhere. Still, I would've preferred to go there directly, just carving the place to pieces right away." 

"Our mission is not destruction. It is infiltration and intelligence gathering. This base is not connected to any networks - whatever they're working on, is highly classified. It is unlikely even the Alliance knows of its existence." 

"Yeah... Not destruction - yet. I can always hope for some mayhem later, right?" Again, a broad smile plastered itself across Duo's face, and again, it failed to provoke any response in his partner. 

------- 

The fire burned brightly, slowly heating up the chilled cabin. The content of the filled bucket was still mostly frozen, but a slight sheen of water had spread across the top of the ice. Outside, the howling winds were already busy covering up the doorway. To avoid being buried in, Heero moved Wing closer to the lodge, using the gundam's shield as an extended doorway roof, and covered the shield and the sides of the makeshift hallway with a big piece of tarpaulin. There was no real need to hide the gundams further. The blizzard made detection by satellite and air reconnaissance impossible, and it would rage at least for a week further - and by that time, they should be long gone. The snow cover and low temperature also covered the heat signatures, and the white blanket unfolding over the machines would soon make them difficult to spot should an OZ patrol dare venture out in the storm, and accidentally come close enough. Even so, Heero opted for placing motion sensors and other warning equipment. Merely a low probability of detection was no excuse for relaxing on security. 

After moving all the logs near the fireplace over to the left side, some of the wet wood was carried in to dry. Duo took the empty bucket outside, scooped up some snow, and brought it inside. At least, there would be no shortage of water. Or ice. He dumped the snow in the black pan above the fire, and went out to get more snow. Heated water would be nice - especially since he suspected Heero had packed nothing but emergency rations, probably the dehydrated kind - which meant, the only way to get a hot meal, would be to have some hot water. Heated water would also be preferable for the wash basin - washing oneself in snow could be exotic if one could regain lost heat afterwards - and potentially fatal without that ability. 

"So, how did we get this place? Are we 'borrowing' it, or did you buy or rent it with one of your magical bank accounts?" 

"Does it matter?" 

Duo shrugged. 

"I guess not - as long as we aren't disturbed." 

As the ice bucket next to the fireplace turned even more viscous, Heero took off the thick outer jacket and pants, designed to keep the severe chills outside tolerable, and advised Duo to do the same. 

"If we wear these inside, where it's warmer, the shock of going outside afterwards will be much worse." 

"Okay. Better to freeze a little in both places, than to freeze to death in either, right?" 

Although said in jest, the sudden loss of the extra layer of cold-resistant clothing, sent shivers down Duo's spine. He immediately approached the fireplace, to reduce and adjust to the temperature change. Heero did not appear to be bothered - even if he was, he would never dare give any signs of it. Professional pride can be a dangerous thing. Over by the fire, Duo was rubbing his hands, causing friction to form heat. 

"I need to take a dump - and don't tell me that empty bucket doubles as a toilet..." 

Heero nodded towards the second door in the south wall - the one that was slightly ajar - and returned to unpacking. Duo walked over to the door, opened it, expecting to see a wooden bench with a hole in it. He didn't. Instead, there was a monster of a white plastic installation. One could still see the white frost on the seat. 

"Oh, _swell_. Did we pack toilet paper?" 

Heero reached down in one bag, grabbed a roll and threw it to Duo, never looking up from the bag he was emptying. 

"Thanks. Could you pour some hot water into the sink for me?" 

Again, Heero's focus remained at the bags, only giving a curt nod as a reply. 

"Thanks." 

Duo went inside the little annex, and closed the door. Heero half-expected to hear him drop a few curse words upon contact with the cold surface. None came. Not out loud, anyway. Fulfilling his promise, Heero poured some of the heated water from the cast-iron pan into the empty bucket, and proceeded to fill the wash-basin with the warm water. 

------- 

Duo stood by the fireplace, backside facing the fire, trying to regain some warmth - and reduce numbness. At the table, Heero was busy distributing the content of two dehydrated ration packs in a pair of plastic bowls. Outside, the sunlight had faded away completely. 

"Bring some water." 

Duo took the red bucket, filled it with heated water from the pan over the fire, and brought it to the table. While Duo poured the water in the bowls, Heero fetched spoons to stir with from one of their bags. They seated themselves at the table. Duo had barely begun slurping up his portion before he was interrupted. 

"We should discuss the battle plan." 

"What battle plan? I thought you said we weren't going to destroy anything?" Duo took another spoonful of soup - he had no intention of letting Heero disturb his first hot meal of the day. 

"Mission tactics, then. The OZ R&D base is a fair distance away." 

"We'll still get there and back in a day, right?" 

Silence. Heero put his spoon down. 

"Right?" 

"Maybe - if we start out real early, and keep a quick pace. In this weather, it will take time." 

"Whatever happens, I sure don't plan to spend a night outside - and we can't exactly rest at the OZ base, either." 

"It's settled, then. We leave early - before daybreak." 

"Anything to avoid snoozin' in the snowstorm." 

"It will probably take us ten hours to get there, eight to get back." 

"Because of the wind, right?" 

Heero nodded. 

"I still wish we could use the gundams, save us at least part of the walk." 

"You know we can't. Not enough fuel if we have to attack later - besides, we'd be alot easier to spot." 

"Yeah..." Duo gave a brief snicker. "18 hours of walking on snowshoes in this blizzard... Well, at least we get to see what the heck those OZ morons are doing up here." 

"We'd better. Failure is-" 

"...unacceptable. Yeah, got it. Don't worry, Heero - we'll get what we come for. We always do, don't we?" He got no answer. 

------- 

While the walls kept the wind itself out, the gusts still created howling sounds sending shivers down spines sensitive enough. The temperature was also affected, the fireplace unable to fight it sufficiently. Dou lay in the right side bed, tossing and turning under a pile of blankets, trying to get comfortable in the cold. The aiding effects of the hot meal was fading fast. Sleep might not come easily this evening. 

On the left side bed, Heero couldn't sleep either - but not because of the cold. Normally, Duo's unsettlement wouldn't bother him, but the old springs on the other bed were in bad shape, signaling that fact strongly through the soul-slicing sounds produced by even the slightest movement. 

"Duo, keep still." 

"I can't. It's too cold." 

"Then grab another blanket." 

"There aren't any left. I could always put on the jacket and..." 

"No. You must save that for tomorrow. If you use it now, you'll never last long outside." 

The springs squeaked loudly again. It was the final straw. 

Duo had been facing the wall, but as he heard rustling in blankets and quilts, he rolled over, seeing an angry Heero stamping quickly across the thin floorboards, barefoot. In contrast, Duo's feet were tucked away in a pair of thick wool socks. 

"Heero, I can't help it that the bed-" 

Heero reached out, grabbed Duo's right arm with his, and yanked him out on the floor. duo was barely able to keep his balance, wool socks sliding on the slippery wood beneath. Heero's glare aimed right for his eyes, with a mixture of anger, annoyance and... and... _Something else._ Duo couldn't tell. There was something new in those pools of blue, something he couldn't remember having seen before. Was it fear? Surprise? No... 

"I'm not gonna sleep on the floor, if that's what you're thinking - No way I'm gonna-" 

Again he was cut off by Heero's actions. Trapped in a steel grip, Duo could barely stumble along as he was dragged over to the other side of the cabin, and tossed into the other bed. Heero walked back across the floor, raiding the blankets and quilts from Duo's bed. A bit bewildered, Duo asked "Are _you_ going to sleep on the floor?" 

"No," Heero flatly stated, and while carrying the pillage back; "I have no such intentions." 

He piled Duo's covers on top of his own, gesturing for Duo to crawl under. 

"We'll share body heat and covers. That way, the cold shouldn't bother you, and your sleeping problems and sub-standard bed shouldn't bother me." 

Duo thought about protesting, but knew there was no point. If he had learned anything about Heero, it was his stubbornness and dedication to missions - if they didn't get any rest, they would not be fit for the planned operations the following day. Logic. Nothing more. He turned to face the wall, trying to get comfortable under the covers. Behind him, he felt Heero slip in. Duo suddenly felt one of Heero's arms reach around his chest, the other across his belly, both dragging him close. Again, Duo was about to protest, attempting to tell Heero this wasn't exactly how two _guys_ usually shared body heat, but decided not to. While Heero might not have the warmest of personalities, his body served well as a hot-water bottle. Duo felt warm and comfortable for the first time since they got to the safe house. The cold didn't bother him anymore. That was worth a slight mental qualm. He began drifting slowly into sleep. Halfway between the lands of reality and dreams he thought he heard Heero's warm, steady breath whispering across his ear; barely audible, fading; "Share... body heat... _nothing... more..._" 

Duo slept like the log walls surrounding him that night. Heero was barely able to shut his eyes. By the dying embers of the fireplace, the gray bucket now held nothing but water. 

  
  
  
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	2. Snowball

  
**White Plain**   
#2 - Snowball   
  
  
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The howling night winds shook the notched log walls of the cabin, vibrations spreading sufficiently to rattle Duo out of his slumber. He opened his eyes drowsily, vision slowly focusing out of the blur of sleep, taking in the view of the log wall. As he was closing his eyes to continue his rest, the wind outside gave its disapproval, shaking the wall - and, in turn, the bed. Again, Duo's dull gaze met the wall, finally noticing the dancing shadows there. The fire had been lit again. It wasn't until then he noticed the absentee 'hot-water bottle'. Duo turned around, stretching his arms out and above the layers of warming quilts and blankets. Over by the fireplace, he saw Heero straddling a chair, arms on the back of the chair, chin resting against the folded arms, staring into the fire. Even with the flames heating the room, Duo just couldn't imagine how Heero could keep warm with nothing but underwear and a T-shirt on. Duo yawned, stretched again. "Good morning," he said. 

Heero didn't reply, merely nodded, not taking his eyes away from the fireplace. 

"So, what time is it?" 

"About 03:30 AM. We should be leaving in half an hour." 

"Guess we'd better get ready, then. Do we have time for breakfast?" 

Heero turned to face him, and nodded towards the table. There, in all their splendor, two standard ration packs had been prepared. "I finished packing our equipment while you slept. I figured you'd demand we'd have something to eat before leaving." 

"Yeah. Wouldn't you want something to eat before heading out on a mission?" 

"Not if we were pressed for time." 

To that, Duo had no answer. He dressed quickly, adamant not to let any sensation of warmth get wasted. 

------- 

Heero took point. Around his right wrist, wrapped outside of the thermosuit, he carried a compass. In the featureless landscape, that was the only way to navigate. No electronic device could be used, as they represented a tracking risk - and their mission depended on stealth, above all. His hood was drawn tight to keep as much of his face away from the wind hurling directly at them. Ski poles and snowshoes. That was their form of locomotion. Skis were out of the question in this weather - besides, neither of them had any significant experience with skiing. One foot in front of the other, using the ski poles both for support and thrust, fighting the wind constantly throwing snowflakes in their faces. It got monotonous real quick. Talking was impossible. The hoods, combined with the wailing wind, ruined any hope of being heard without stopping and facing each other. Duo couldn't stand it. Forced to listen to his own rhythmic breath and heart beat, not being able to speak, sing or even hum without being rewarded with a mouthful of tiny white crystals - not that anyone could have heard him anyway. The only thing visible on this endless white plain was Heero's back. Heero kept their pace steady, but it still took a lot to keep up. The boredom of it all was worse than the physical exhaustion, though. 

Daylight had come, sunshine dimmed by the thick cloud layers above, but still making the landscape brighter. No matter where you looked; white. Snow covered everything, and the only things in sight not covered in snow, was also colored white. Snowshoes, ski poles, thermosuits, backpacks - even the compass on Heero's wrist - all white. All for reasons of stealth. At least, Duo found comfort in seeing motion in Heero - the bothersome snowflakes were the only other thing moving. For a long time, he focused on Heero's backpack, which dark lines and shadowy folds created at least some contrast. Keeping his head upright against the wind like that turned tiresome after a while, and he let his gaze drop. Heero's legs were still pumping along in the same rhythmic pattern as when they first set off. If he was tired, he gave no signs of it. Duo didn't want to show any signs of tiredness either, but they had been walking for a long time, and they could both use a rest. He lifted one ski pole and tapped Heero on the shoulder. Heero turned instantly. Finally, there was some colors other than white to look at. 

"How long have we been walking?" 

"For about six hours. Another four, and we should be there." 

"We need a break. Definitely lunch time." 

"Prolonging the mission is-" 

"Unacceptable. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We still need food - can't fight on an empty stomach." The argument was sound enough. They took off their backpacks and sat down in the snow, thermosuits providing some insulation from the cold surface. Heero dug out yet another two standard ration packs; 'all the energy and vital substances the body needs'. Unfortunately the palate usually has completely different preferences than the body. Duo's taste buds were no different. He took out a thermos, and was immediately questioned by Heero. 

"Why did you bring that? It has no relevance to-" 

"I know it's not necessary equipment, but I'm the one carrying it, the extra weight is my problem." 

"If you collapse because of excessive stress, it would become my problem." 

"Gee, thanks for caring, Heero - and to think I was about to offer you a cup of this..." Duo rummaged around in his backpack, finally pulling up a small bag filled with brown powder. 

"What's that?" 

"Dehydrated cocoa. That's why I brought the hot water." 

"The nutritional value-" 

"Isn't great, sure. But it sure warms up the body." 

"Hn." 

Heero returned his attention to the ration packs. If he wanted some of that cocoa, he hid it well. Duo took out a plastic cup, and mixed some of the powder with hot water. He looked over at Heero, who was still busy unpacking the rations. 

"Sure you don't want a cup? I'm sure it'll feel good - especially in this weather." 

Heero glared back at him, eyes defiant. A few seconds later, he nodded, gave one of the ration packs to Duo, and got a cup of hot cocoa in return. Already before the first sweet, warm drops trickled across his tongue, Heero knew Duo was right - the heated beverage would do a great job warming the body. 

They ate quickly. Neither of them wanted to stay put for long in this weather. As they were mounting their backpacks again, Duo turned inquisitive. 

"Well...?" 

"Well what?" 

"Didn't it feel good with something to warm you up inside?" 

Heero hesitated to answer, but eventually did so, if abruptly. 

"Yeah. Thanks." Duo lit up instantly. 

"Hey, don't mention it! - Wait, that's got to be the first time I've heard you say thanks for _anything_." 

"All the more reason you should value it," Heero muttered into the wind, voice so low Duo never heard him. 

------- 

Once they got close enough, the Oz base was easy enough to spot. The four guard towers, one in each corner of a squared, fenced-in compound, stood tall, grasping for the darkening sky above. Within the fence and in front of the main gate, most of the snow had been cleared away. Only one of the towers were manned, though - coincidentally, the only one which was glassed in, protected from the cold outside. Perhaps they counted on the blizzard to prevent infiltrators. Perhaps they counted on their anonymity and secrecy in building and maintaining this base. Pure chance had led to the knowledge of the base, after all. Someone at the base, probably a low-level employee, had ordered a case of beer without asking permission. Unfortunately for them, the case was thus not erased or accounted for in the shadow paper trails covering all other shipments to this location. The discrepancy had been detected - and now, whatever required all this cover-up and secrecy, risked being revealed because of one sloppy action. There is no leeway in warfare. 'Kill or be killed.' 

The manned tower was by the main gate. No patrols could be seen within the fence. No internal checkpoints, either. Just a few windows in the buildings of the compound. Sneaking in would be easy enough. Heero headed for the fence on the side of the base opposite to the gate and manned tower. The building mass would prevent the guards from seeing them there. After hiding the snowshoes and ski poles, they scaled the fence. Even in the fading daylight, the blizzard would make it difficult for anyone inside the complex to spot two white-clad people sneaking around outside. 

They made their way to a side entrance, picked the lock and went inside. The temperature change was abrupt. The corridor they had entered, was eerily empty. Not a sound could be heard. One of the white neon lights further down the hall was malfunctioning, blinking unrhythmically. This section of the complex was obviously rarely visited. Carefully searching the adjoining rooms as they went down the hallway, they came across what they sought; a computer connected to the internal data networks of the base. There wasn't even a password protecting this system - but the reason for that became clear soon enough. 

The mainframe housing the data they were there to retrieve, was separated from the general-purpose net of the base. The only information the no-security net could give, was the location of the mainframe; smack in the hub of the research complex. To further complicate matters, the mainframe was clearly heavily guarded - if not monitored by soldiers, then scientists and engineers. They'd require access and identity cards, and even with those, someone near the computer would probably wonder what a kid would want from the mainframe's data storage. 

"We can't assault directly," Heero stated. "We need to maintain stealth." 

"Well, there's another possibility..." 

"What?" 

"With a computer as big as that, with information of such critical importance, they'd have to have backup systems, right?" 

"Right." 

"And the backup systems wouldn't be located near the mainframe, right?" 

"Right." 

"So, all we have to do, is find the backup unit, and take what we need from it. I'm sure Dr. J and the others would accept data a day or two old." 

Heero hammered at the keyboard, searching for the location and information about any backup unit. It took but a few minutes. Bringing up a map of the complex on the screen, he pointed and said "The backup computer is there, down the hallway. There won't be any guards. That's the good news." 

"And the bad news?" 

"The backup system is heavily encrypted - we don't have time to decrypt it here, even if we had the codes." 

"So, what do we do about it?" 

"You head down there, and copy the encrypted files. All of them. I'll go to that room." 

Heero pointed at a remote room on the map, three doors sealing off the corridor leading to it, all indicated by the map to be electronically locked. 

"If they've stored the codes for the backup unit anywhere on the site, my guess is that they're there." 

"Won't that section be patrolled?" 

"Probably. Fortunately for us-" He hit a few keys. The map disappeared, and was replaced by a worker schedule. "-it appears it's almost dinner time. This base is understaffed as it is, so I doubt they'll have double shifts for the backup system codes." 

"Still - You're taking a big risk." 

"If we don't get the codes, we'll waste a heck of a lot of time making that data readable - and we might not have that spare time." 

"Okay, okay. Just don't get yourself killed on my behalf." 

Still staring into the screen, Heero replied "That has never been a consideration." 

Duo turned sarcastic. "Wow. Thanks for caring." 

Heero didn't respond. Duo knew what he meant, though. Sacrificing oneself to achieve the mission was acceptable. To save the life of a comrade in arms, not. Standard protocol for Gundam pilots. Duo picked up his backpack. 

"Okay, let's get started. We'll meet at the exit when we're done." 

Heero nodded. Duo turned and walked as silently as he could down the hallway. 

------- 

Finding the backup computer was easy enough. Downloading the data to the high-density storage disks Professor G had given them, was also quickly done. Erasing all traces of the fact that the entire backup system had been copied, took longer. By the time Duo was done, he was sure dinner time was up. Still, there hadn't been any signs of activity in this section of the complex since they had entered. That's probably why he walked a bit too fast and careless on the way back to the exit. He rounded a corner, and ran straight into two armed guards. 

"Freeze!" the taller one yelled. "What are you doing here, kid?" 

Facing two trigger-happy soldiers with machine guns, Duo immediately dropped the idea of attacking. He opted to try to talk his way out of it. 

"I... I was just heading for the supply depot to pick up a spare part the boss wanted, and I got lost..." 

The guards eyed him suspiciously. 

"Look, it's my first week on the job - I just got transferred here. Could you guys do me a favor and tell me where the supply depot is - and not tell my boss I got lost?" 

The short, chubby guard lowered his weapon. "Well, the supply depot is down that way and to-" The tall guy slapped him on the back of his head, hand making a loud noise upon contact with the bald skull. 

"Idiot! This kid is a spy. There's no way he'd be _that_ lost - besides, we're given notice of all new arrivals, and I certainly would have remembered someone with _that_ pathetic appearance. What are you going for anyway, kid? Long hair make you get in touch with your feminine side? Trying to look more like a girl to make the _boys_ like you more?" Seeing Duo's cheeks flush slightly, the tall guard smirked, continuing his taunts. "I bet that's it. Disgusting. We'll just have to throw you in a solitary cell, I guess - if you're allowed to live after the interrogation, that is." The guard continued much in the same way. The short chubby guard looked a bit bewildered, perhaps embarrassed for falling for Duo's story. Neither of them saw what Duo saw, and he made sure they didn't notice it by looking at him, either. One quick blow to the neck by Heero's elbow brought the tall guard down, the other followed his friend to the floor within a split second. 

Duo grinned. "Thanks, Heero. Guess we should leave while we can, right?" 

"No. They saw you. They'll be able to identify you. They know we did _something_ here." Heero pulled out his gun, removed the safety. Duo quickly put his hand on the barrel, pushing it away from its target. 

"That wouldn't help much - even if we could conceal the bodies, they'd be missed. Security would be intensified, and they might guess what happened, anyway." 

"What other options do we have?" 

"Let me think..." 

"We're out of time." 

"Don't push me!" Duo stated, slightly irritated. Then his face lit up. "Got it! Heero, help me move the guards into the storage room over there." 

He gestured at the nearest door, room indeed having been marked on the computer map as a small storage area. 

Relocating the unconscious soldiers took just a few minutes. Duo started taking down whatever he could find of fabrics on the shelves of the tiny room. 

"Heero, could you sneak down to the mess hall and try to find something strong - something with a lot of alcohol in it?" Heero just looked puzzled at him. 

"What are you planning?" 

"There's no time to explain, just do it!" Duo insisted, throwing another rag in the pile of fabrics on the floor. 

Heero walked out, carefully closing the door behind him. He had no idea what Duo was planning, but he couldn't think of any sufficient solution himself - better to go along with whatever crazy notion the braided fool had gotten. 

The mess hall was empty. Dinner being over and dishes done, nobody were to be seen there. After finding a few bottles and cans with the desired substance, he returned to the storage room, almost dropping his loot on the floor upon what he saw there. Duo was sitting on his knees, bent over the tall guard, stripping him to his underwear. 

"What the _heck_ are you doing?!" He shouted, albeit muffled. 

"Sssh, be quiet, Heero. Close the door." He did. Duo got up from his knees. 

"Good, I see you found it - never doubted you would, though." 

The grin plastered across his face was definitely a sign of a nasty idea. Duo took one of the bottles, gave the tall guard a mouthful, making sure the gag reflex could handle it, gave him another mouthful, and poured some of the bottle's content on the floor and on the man's chest. 

Both guards had been placed on top of a big pile of fabrics taken from the shelves, and the clothing stripped of their bodies was scattered across the room. Duo was hastily repeating the pouring process with the other guard when Heero again got the nerve to ask. 

"What the heck are you planning?" 

"Isn't it obvious?" Seeing Heero's still confused expression, Duo stated "Guess not. Well, I got to thinking, we can't brainwash these two, or make them forget they saw me, right?" 

Heero nodded. 

"So, I figured the best way would be to make them doubt their own memories." 

"Even when drunk, they would still remember, just not as clearly." Duo grinned from ear to ear. 

"That's why I thought we should mess them up a bit more - look, the tall guy is definitely homophobic - his little speech in the hallway made that apparent enough. So, if I can get him into thinking he was involved in some 'naughty business' with that other guy, and make him think the alcohol did tricks with his mind, I'm sure he wouldn't be too keen to report seeing a long-haired spy, and definitely not at explaining how he got from that observation to his present situation. Better yet, we could leave the door open,. If someone else found them drunk and in a 'compromising situation', I'm sure any report they'd give, would be waved off as pure bullshit." 

Heero considered all this for a moment. Duo's idea wasn't all that bad. By no means perfect, but a lot better at covering their tracks than simply killing the two soldiers. 

"What about the other guard? For all we know, he could be-" Duo shook his head. 

"I checked his wallet. One ugly wife and four or five kids. Make him think he's 'done the dirty', and he'll never think of mentioning seeing me in his drunken visions." 

"What if they're the kind of people that never drinks? Wouldn't that be a bit suspicious for a teetotaller to go on a drinking bend?" Duo shrugged. 

"There's a first time for everything, Heero - besides, once they are discovered like this - or wake up in this position-" He took the tall guard's hand and placed it over the other guard's barely clothed crotch. "-I'm sure they'll do anything to forget this day ever happened." 

He emptied a few more cans in, on and around the guards, then stated to Heero "My work here is done. Let's get out of here." 

------- 

Outside, the last remnants of daylight had faded away. The glow of a slowly turning searchlight at the main gate could be seen across the rooftops of the buildings. The other towers were still unmanned, and apparently no one had bothered to activate the searchlights there. Heero and Duo had reached the fence when a sound stronger than the lamenting wails of the wind could be heard. In the poor visibility, they were barely able to identify the source; a small mobile suit carrier landing by the main gate. 

"Looks like they brought in reinforcements a bit late, huh?" Duo jested. Heero handed him his backpack. 

"Take this, get over the fence, and get ready. I'll take a closer look at the cargo of that shuttle. Anything that's important enough to bring in under these weather conditions, might be important." 

He ran off, leaving Duo a bit perplexed. Duo did as he was told, though. No need for both of them to scout the unloading of that shuttle, and getting the backpacks over the fence would be work enough - not to mention locating the ski poles and snowshoes on the other side. 

Duo had barely gotten one snowshoe on before he heard Heero coming over the fence. He had his usual glum expression. 

"Spare parts. Some half-finished Leo suits, compact generators, capacitors, heat sinks and other assorted parts." 

"Sounds like they're building a new energy weapon for the Leos." 

"Could be. I'm sure the answer is in that database we copied. Better get it back to the scientists - they'll probably figure out what it is." 

"And when they do, we'll get back here and level the place." 

Duo laughed. He never tired of seeing Heero's slightly angered expression for his mentioning of action outside of mission parameters. Regaining the glum face, Heero put on his own snowshoes and backpack, looked at the wrist compass and started walking. Duo followed close behind. 

------- 

The walk back home wasn't as exhausting. The wind was heading in their direction now, and the whirly white stuff wasn't even half as bothersome. Of course, this didn't matter that much to Heero. The weather didn't bother him much. While his body continued the monotonous walk, his mind was elsewhere. He kept trying to figure out exactly why he had been shocked, why he had responded so severely - for him - to walking in on Duo undressing the guards. He had been surprised, but that shouldn't have triggered... anger? Or even jealousy? And how had Duo come up with such an idea, anyhow? He was so caught up with these thoughts, he didn't hear Duo calling him. 

"Heero?" 

No response. 

"Hey, Heero!" 

Still no response. 

Duo was tired. They had been walking for hours, and a rest was long overdue - but the machine-like being walking in front of him seemed to disagree. He yelled one more time, and still got no response. 

"This calls for drastic measures," he muttered. Grinning, he stopped and scooped up a handful of snow, and shaped the projectile with his gloves. Fortunately for his little revenge plot, the snow wasn't of the powder type. Unfortunately, just as he hurled the snowball at Heero, the target had noticed the absence of sounds of motion behind him, and turned. The snowball, intended to hit the back of Heero's hooded head, now slammed into his temple instead. Heero fell. 

Duo's grin vanished, a look of despair replaced it, as he trotted over to Heero. He shook Heero, and yelled at him. No response. He checked for pulse and breath. Both steady. Knowing how much pain Heero could endure, it would have been incredibly strange for him to die because of a snowball. Even the fact it had rendered him unconscious, was surprising. Duo calmed himself down. No point in trying to punish himself for his actions now - Heero was sure to do that when he woke up. When. There was no telling when that could be. They couldn't stay here, either. They'd freeze to death soon enough. He couldn't bring himself to abandon Heero, either. He took off his own backpack, opened Heero's, and took as many heavy items from it as he could fit in his own backpack. When done, he strapped his backpack on, carrying it across his chest and stomach rather than on his back. He took Heero's wrist compass and tied it on his own. Duo then took Heero's unconscious body - backpack, snowshoes and ski poles still strapped to Heero's body - on his back, the two masses acting as balancing weights. He started walking towards the cabin. 

------- 

He had already been tired. Now, he felt about to collapse. For about an hour he had carried the extra weight. Heero had yet to show any signs of waking up. All Duo could detect, was the rhythmic beating of a heart against his shoulder blade, and steady breath passing his ear. Completely steady. It was not before then Duo noticed. No one could maintain a breathing rhythm that steady in unconsciousness - not even Heero. Heero might be controlling his body, all right, but he sure wasn't knocked out. Duo stopped, and put Heero down. He had seen those superior acting skills before. He cursed himself for not thinking of this sooner - of _course_ such a puny thing as a snowball couldn't have hurt Heero. However, Duo wanted to get even, after having to carry his partner for so long. The question was, how? He had to think fast. Heero would suspect the game was up soon enough. 

Duo took off his backpack. He then got to thinking how Heero had reacted back at the base. He'd sounded angered, perhaps even enraged or disgusted. Perhaps Heero was homophobic. At the very least, uneasy with the thought. He probably accepted Duo's plan because it served the mission. Anything for the mission. Even sharing body heat. That must have been why Heero had done what he had done yesterday. They both needed sleep. He saw one solution to the potential problem for their mission, and went with it. He'd probably sneaked out of the bed as soon as Duo had fallen asleep. This was how Duo reasoned, anyway. From this standpoint, finding a suitable revenge against someone faking unconsciousness, was easy. If Heero was even the slightest homophobic, he should react to a kiss - or just the 'threat' of a kiss. 

Duo kneeled next to Heero, checked his pulse again. He then slowly lowered his head against Heero's face. Closed eyes betrayed nothing. Not even a twitch could be seen. Duo came closer. Still no reaction. Closer. If Heero was conscious, he _had_ to have figured out what Duo was planning by now. Heero's breath was still steady. Duo's was not. Perhaps Heero thought he wouldn't dare do it - but Duo had no such qualms. Still, he hesitated, hovering just off contact. He stalled. Then, Heero's eyes flew open. Duo felt a hand grab the back of his head, pushing him down, pressing his lips hard against Heero's. His own eyes were wide open with surprise, but that feeling faded, until he felt his lips parted by an intrusive tongue. Again, he adjusted quickly. Then, Heero pulled away his hand, at the same time flinging Duo back slightly, and rolled over and up at his knees. Not facing Duo, head faced down, he stated, almost nervously, "Sorry. I - I shouldn't have done that." 

Duo put a hand on Heero's shoulder, silently asking him to turn around. 

"Sorry for what? Faking unconsciousness, or the kiss?" 

"Both." Duo smiled. 

"Well, I had the first one coming. Sorry about the snowball. And I didn't mind the second. I was about to kiss you anyway - just didn't think you'd react like _that_." Heero looked confused. 

"How _did_ you think I'd react?" Duo's cheeks tinted, not from the cold. 

"Well... Back at the Oz base, you reacted kinda strongly when-" 

"I was surprised, that's all." 

"No. No, I don't think so. There was something else in your eyes, too." 

Heero didn't respond. He wouldn't admit it. Not yet. 

"Anyway, thanks," Duo said. 

"For what?" 

"For what do you _think_? The kiss, stupid." 

"You mean, you're not angry at me for-" 

"Nah. Just be a bit more gentle the next time - letting me know in advance wouldn't hurt either." Heero replied with hesitation. 

"...the ...the next time?" Duo grinned. 

"Hey, I'm just saying 'if' - not pushing you into anything, Heero. Just wanted to let you know it's okay." 

"So, you're not upset?" 

"What did I just tell you, Heero? No, I'm not upset." 

Heero still stared down into the snow, uncertain of what to say or do. Duo decided to remove that doubt. He placed his hands along Heero's cheeks, and gave him a soft, short kiss. 

"There. See? No hard feelings at all." 

Heero nodded. 

The snowflakes were still dancing all around them. Heero got up on his feet. 

"We should head back for the cabin. We can't stay here." 

"What's the rush? We're both tired - well, I am, anyway - carrying you around isn't that easy. We could use a bite to eat before heading back." Duo was already fishing out rations from his backpack. 

"Sorry about that. It was a dumb thing to do." 

"What was?" 

"Tricking you, having you carry me. I endangered the mission." 

"That again? Heero, just forget it, okay?" 

"Okay." Duo dug deeper in the backpack. 

"Hey, I still have some hot water and cocoa mix left. Want some?" 

"Sure." 

------- 

They sat there in the snow, eating rations, sipping hot cocoa, in absolute absence of words for several minutes. Heero was clearly anxious to get moving again, but didn't do or say anything to rush Duo. After taking a long, loud slurp of cocoa, Duo asked "When we get back to the cabin, the fire will be out, right?" 

Heero nodded. 

"Well... Then it will be very cold there tonight too, right?" 

Again, Heero nodded. 

"Would you mind sharing a bed tonight too? I don't feel like freezing any more than I already do." 

Heero looked him straight in the eyes, voice slightly uneasy. 

"You wouldn't mind?" 

"Not if you wouldn't." A faint smile came across Heero's face. 

"No... I think I'd like that. I think I'd like that very much." 

They finished the meal, and headed for the cabin. 

  
  
  
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	3. Avalanche

  
**White Plain**   
#3 - Avalanche   
  
  
---------------- 

By the time they had the cabin in sight, darkness had again descended over the windy white plain. Every step was a struggle, not because of the frosty gales pushing them forward, not because of the flitting snowflakes dancing all around them, blurring the dim reflections of faint light across the surface. It was how the snowshoes sank down in the soft, saggy, newly fallen snow, draining a vital little bit of energy each time a foot went up or down, white sticky flakes either trying to hold the foot back, or deny it any grip in the first place. Both of them were dead tired. Neither of them were willing to show any sign of it. In the struggle of willpower and flesh, crass determination had persevered - so far. It would not last much longer. Both knew. Neither accepted it - Yet. 

No smoke came from the chimney. The fire had probably burned out just a few hours after they left. Other than the chimney, the vague shape and corners of the roof were the only part of the lodge still visible, despite the thick white cover. Standing vigil over the door was Wing, kneeling, its left arm and shield together with tarpaulin creating a hallway protecting the door, preventing the snowfall from clogging the entrance. The tarp was already covered in a layer at least a handbreadth thick, still growing. The wet snow stuck easily to the coarse canvas, but not so easily to the two gundams. Still, Deathscythe, standing like a sentinel a bit further away, scythe held as a spear, had gotten white epaulets from the snowfall. As they got to the tarp, Heero took off his backpack and rummaged around in it to find the two data disks before lifting one corner of the plastic cover, motioning Duo to get in. 

"Duo, re-light the fire and turn on the gas lamps. I'll transmit the copy of the backup systems and the codes to Dr. J and the others - I'll use Deathscythe. Wing is not in an optimal position to transmit - besides, Deathscythe is better equipped to scramble and shroud the signal. I'll need your access codes." 

Duo didn't argue. He didn't raise a fuss, proclaim that his gundam was off-limits - especially for someone who'd scavenged it for spare parts in the past. He was just too damn tired. He recited the codes, and watched as Heero trotted off to the black sentinel before he dragged the two backpacks in after him under the tarpaulin. 

Heero turned to see the tarpaulin settle down before resuming the walk. With a "Hn" and furrowed eyebrows he kicked aimlessly in the snow, sending more white powder up amongst dancing snowflakes. He could feel his blood boil, anger and frustration over his conditioning, and of how easily Duo had bypassed all of that training. Despite his efforts to show otherwise outwards, his feelings - his emotions - were not gone, just repressed. However, Duo always seemed to find a way to break all of them free from their restraints, bring them out to full power - unless he made a significant mental effort to hold them back. Or was it that he felt more relaxed around Duo, willing to show a side of himself nobody else had seen? No. No, he couldn't allow that to happen. Soldier first, human second. What if he were to pour his heart out for Duo, not knowing how Duo would react, or how he himself would react - not even knowing what he might say or do in the first place? What is it he felt for Duo, anyway? Respect? Yes. Despite Duo's knack for getting into trouble, he usually got himself out again just as easily. Desire? Definitely. He had proven that to them both already, practically attacking Duo to get... something. Love? He didn't know. _He didn't know._ He sent another batch of snow skywards. 

Deep within his mind, a mantra began repeating over and over again, though slightly changed with each reiteration; 'Mission first, human second. Mission first, life second. Mission first, _Duo_ second.' To abandon his training was impossible - unthinkable. But to at least _stretch_ its boundaries, as long as it didn't endanger any assignments? Heero could settle for that. However, as he reached for Deathscythe's hatch, a single question pushed all the others out of the way - _Would Duo?_

------- 

The inside of the cabin was dark. The air was stale and dry. That would be forgotten soon enough, no longer noticeable once a few minutes were spent inside. The cold was different. Duo disposed of the backpacks by the center table, used a flashlight to seek out and light each of the four kerosene lamps drilled into the log walls. He shuffled away the ashes in the fireplace into the gray metal bucket, stacked up a solid build of firewood under the black cauldron, before searching his pockets for matches. Once the flames began licking the walls of the fireplace and bottom of the cauldron, Duo sat down by the center table, shedding the thermosuit before it would make him too warm and maladjusted to the slowly rising temperature. His skin felt clammy. The cold outside had not stopped him from sweating during the walk, but heating enough water for a thorough wash would take too long, and the idea of a quick snow-bath was not especially tempting. He settled for a quick sweep, wanting to rid himself of at least the strongest indicators he'd been out walking for a full day. The water left in the cauldron was still far from warm, but it would have to do. He stripped, picked up a cloth from his bags, soaked it in the barely lukewarm water and wiped off drying sweat and smells as best he could. Wherever the moist cloth went, goose-bumps followed. 

Duo did his best not to think of it. He wanted to focus his mind on something else - _anything_ else. The topic ended up being Heero. Duo had never suspected the recluse pilot could have normal desires - Heero never seemed to want for anything, but now he had shown _something_ he wanted. Him. Or at least his attention, his affection - his love? Duo smiled and shrugged to himself, dipped the cloth in the water and wound it up. 

Heero had never appeared to him as the kind of person who'd fall in love. No, that couldn't be it. Still, the thought was appealing. Duo cared for Heero too, but _love_ him? How do you love someone who doesn't even understand what the word means? Despite his own miserable childhood, he had experienced love, at least for a little while. Closing his eyes, he could see their faces. His smile faded, he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the images - the memories that followed those images all ended in sadness and pain. An old saying crept into his mind; 'It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all'. He belonged in the first category, Heero in the second. Duo was far from certain _he_ was the one that was better off. 

Absentmindedly, he finished washing, and the room's temperature became bothersome once more. Still wet from the makeshift bath, he felt colder by the second. Duo pulled out a dry towel from one of the bags and dried himself off. He was searching for a clean set of clothes when the door creaked open, a shivering gust accompanying Heero through the door. 

Heero came in, stamped his feet to rid as much of snow as possible from his shoes, proceeded to brush off his shoulders and flip back the hood. 

Duo nearly had a fit. 

"Hey, close the door!" 

It was not before then Heero noticed Duo by the bags, wearing nothing but the towel clutched in his hands, covering not much more. Heero's jaw dropped, mouth agape but for a moment, he turned and slammed the door shut. He stood there, staring at the door sill, not daring to move. Duo found what he was looking for, and dressed hurriedly. 

Regaining his composure, Heero was at last able to mumble something. 

"I... I'm sorry. I should have knocked." 

Duo didn't hear him, preoccupied with clothing as he was. The words were repeated, slightly louder. This time, Duo noticed. After casting a perplexed look on his partner, he simply grinned and stated "Heero, since when did you become so shy? You damn well know I'm not." 

Not getting any reply, he continued. "Sorry if I sounded harsh, wasn't you seeing me in my birthday suit that peeved me - but you letting in the cold like that - it's freezing enough in here as it is, you know." Hesitantly, Heero answered, shaking his head, still facing the door. 

"I'm sorry - I didn't know you were - I should have knocked. I-" 

A hand on his shoulder cut him off mid-sentence. Duo had sneaked up on him. For such a loudmouth, he could be eerily stealthy should he so choose. 

"Hey, don't worry about it. You can turn around now - if you tell me where you put the extra pair of wool socks, that is." 

Jaw again somewhat unhinged, Heero applied whatever he could of this training to regain focus, remain professional, remain _strong_ - and succeeded. 

"Third bag from the right, back section." 

Duo tiptoed over there, trying to have as little contact with the cold floorboards as possible. As he fished out his objective, he asked "So... did you send the data? Did my pal Deathscythe give you any problems?" 

"Yes." 

Duo froze. "To what question?" 

"What?" 

"Yes, you sent the data, or yes, Deathscythe gave you problems?" 

A look of concern came across Duo, as he looked skeptically at Heero, who was still busy trying to get out of his thermosuit. 

"Both, actually. I uploaded the data, got a confirmation signal and a note telling us to rest, and reestablish contact in twelve hours." 

"And what problems were there with Deathscythe?" 

"The hatch was frozen shut. Ice. I took a crowbar from Wing's toolkit and-" 

"You did _what?_ Did you pry open my precious Deathscythe with a _crowbar_?" 

Duo was furious, fists clenching, pounce stance engaged. Heero took a step back, otherwise remaining perfectly calm. 

"I used the crowbar to scrape off some of the ice. The hatch opened easily after that." 

Narrow violet eyes showed no signs of being convinced. 

"Look, I didn't put a single scratch on Deathscythe." 

"You damn well better not have, Yuy - If you have, I'll give Wing a full custom paint job - all pink." 

Heero wisely didn't reply. He wanted to smile, perhaps even laugh, but didn't want to do anything that could provoke Duo to follow through on his threat - something he was all too likely to do, if angered sufficiently. He knew how precious Deathscythe was to Duo - he felt protective of Wing too, but considered it a machine - a tool - not a friend. 

Socks applied, Duo stood by the fireplace, taking in as much heat from it as he could. 

"So... Now what? I suppose you'd want us to get started with maintenance work on the gundams right away?" 

"No." 

"Well, that's a first." 

"I told you - We were ordered to rest - Besides, I looked over the gundams before I got in. Nothing that can't be fixed in minutes. We can leave that for tomorrow." 

"Suits me just fine. I'm beat," Duo said, stretching his arms, barely able to contain a yawn. "I know you are too - you're just too stubborn to admit it." 

"Hn." 

Duo rubbed his eyes, unsuccessful at suppressing a second yawn. 

"Well, I'm going to bed." 

Heero didn't answer, he was too busy packing away snowshoes, boots and thermosuits. 

With a mischievous smile, Duo asked "You're still good on your offer, I hope? I'd still like to have you to keep me warm tonight, you know." 

The thinnest of smiles flashed across Heero's stern face, but he said nothing. 

Duo shuffled over to the bed, socks, slick floor and tiredness combined almost making him stumble as he did so. The quilts and blankets piled up there were, like the rest of the room, still cold. As sheets met skin, shivers spiraled up his spine, causing an involuntary shudder. _Give it time,_ he thought with a grin. _It will heat up soon enough._

He curled up in a ball, rubbed his legs, waiting. 

Closed eyes alone couldn't send him off to sleep. The chills running through his body were too effective at keeping him awake for that. Even so, he kept trying, his mind was more than foggy enough, and other than to shiver or stimulate blood circulation in his legs, he was too exhausted to move. In that haze, it took a while for the trickling sound of water to be recognized. It repeated. Duo opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder, vision still blurry. Over by the fireplace, Heero was following Duo's example of hygiene, bare backside facing Duo. Duo quickly spun around to face the wall. He didn't want to act the Peeping Tom, but... 

His heart beat faster, wide-open eyes looking into the patterns of the log walls. Slowly, he peeked over his shoulder once more, eyes devouring all that he could see. Heero dipped the cloth in the cauldron again, and stroked the fabric slowly along one side and down his leg, repeated the move on the other side. The cloth went everywhere, doing all the caressing Duo suddenly felt a craving to do himself. Heero walked over to fetch a towel, and proceeded to dry himself off. Not once did he turn, to Duo's enjoyment - and relief. Duo didn't want Heero to think less of him for watching like that. As Heero slipped on a pair of boxers, Duo could only think of what Heero's rear end looked like without such covers, how his muscles rippled at every move, how- 

"Did you enjoy the show?" 

The question completely de-railed Duo's train of thought, daydream quickly replaced by reality, awkwardness and embarrassment. Had Heero still not had his back turned, Duo might have seen the thin smile giving away the amusement Heero's tone of voice did not. 

"I.. I.." was all Duo could blurt out before Heero turned to face him, grinning, almost laughing. Duo was dumbfounded. Realization struck. 

"You - You _knew_, didn't you?" 

Heero folded his arms and leaned against the ledge of the fireplace. "That you were watching? Of course. The way _you_ rustle under those blankets makes it hard _not_ to notice when you're moving around." 

Duo pouted mockingly. "...and here I thought you had gone all sweet and shy on me." 

"I _am_ shy, Duo. I don't always know how to act, or what to say - but I'm not ashamed nor embarrassed of my body. If I were, would I wear spandex so often?" 

Duo snickered. "I guess not - then why did you react like you did when you came in?" 

Heero shrugged. "The same reason you just lost your tongue for a moment, I guess - Duo, it just felt a bit... awkward." 

Duo laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Guess we'll have to work on that, huh? Now, get your butt over here - Without you under here, the cold will become noticeable again soon." 

He lifted the covers with one hand, patted the mattress with the other. Heero accepted the invitation and slipped in next to him. For a while, they just lay there, eyes locked, neither daring to speak or move. Then, Heero slowly inched in, one roaming hand leading loose, gentle fingers along Duo's cheek, rounding his ear, before settling once again amongst the soft, woven strands, pulling Duo even closer. They kissed. Lips barely grazing one another at first, then as soft caresses. Duo let his own hands wander up and down Heero's lover back, muscles, healing scars and old wounds all tantalizing his exploring fingers. 

He had just made contact with Heero's soft tongue when he felt something else making contact with his upper thigh. Duo's eyes flared open, and his mind began racing, despite tiredness. _This isn't right - not now, not so soon..._

He broke the kiss, placed his hands on Heero's chest, as if to hold him back. Voice trembling, he tried to speak his mind. "I... Sorry, but is it okay if we just sleep - that we don't... I - I mean-" 

Heero put a finger to Duo's lips, shushing him. Again, a thin smile came across his face, deep blue pools showing no signs of contempt or disappointment. "Sssh. It's okay. I agree. Being close to you is always enough, Duo." 

Relaxed by this, and grinning mischievously, Duo replied "Not _always_, I hope - but for tonight..." Heero nodded, doing his best to fight the sudden heat building up in his cheeks from the innuendo. Duo hugged him before nuzzling against Heero's chest, cheek resting on collar-bone. He felt soft lips touch his forehead as he closed his eyes. The sound of Heero's steady heartbeats and the crackling noises of the fireplace mixed with the sweetest scents of slightly damp skin and burning wood and kerosene, all of it encouraging sleep to an already drowsy mind. Breathing deeply, he at last felt warmth reach every extremity of his body, the cold outside and within but a fleeting memory, the possible perils of tomorrow temporarily forgotten. And he fell asleep. 

  
  
  
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TBC, if requested. 

  
  
  
  
  



	4. Clearance

  
**White Plain**   
#4 - Clearance   
  


AN: First things first; To those who've read, reviewed, or, best of all, both... ;-) - _Thank you_. Thank you so much. Amazing what encouragement can do. Due to that, I spent most of the weekend writing. The result; part four ( as you can see ) done, part five drafted, six and seven outlined. If I keep this pace up, I might be able to update at least once a week - which would be an unheard of frequency for me. While reading, keep in mind it's been a while since I worked on this thing last - beware of possible discontinuity flaws. 

Aiming to be done editing the heck out of part five and drafting most of six within a week, but that depends. If nobody wants to read it, I won't bother working on it. It does take time for someone as slow a scribbler as me. 

Oh, one more thing - diane, if you read this; never, ever apologize for writing a long review. I treasure every word of every review I get - without 'em, I have no way to judge what I've jotted down - that's always a reader's job. Hits gives an _indication_ that something was read. Reviews gives _proof_. No reviews at all is a review in and of itself, in my opinion. Not to mention, the draft of this chapter got edited quite a bit based on feedback... 

*looks at draft for part five* Hrm... Yep, four and five should definitely turn out differently. And with that ominous warning, I give you part four. Enjoy, hate, or be indifferent, but please don't forget to review when you're done. ;-) 

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When Duo slowly emerged from sleep, the first thing he noticed was the extreme silence, making the few sounds he _could_ hear so much more audible. Two heartbeats, breathing, the now rather mellow wind outside and the faint hiss of the kerosene lamps. He suppressed a yawn and opened his eyes, though barely more than as thin, crusted slits. The cabin appeared darker than last evening. The answer was apparent enough; one of the kerosene lamps at the opposite wall had run dry, and the fire in the fireplace had long since turned to cold ashes. Undoubtedly, the room temperature had lowered as well. Only then did he realize his pillow was breathing. _He didn't leave this time,_ Duo thought with a smile. Of course, if Heero had attempted to move, it would in all likelihood have awoken Duo. Not only did Heero's chest act as a pillow; Duo's right leg was wrapped around Heero's, resting around Heero's knee. Duo's arms embracing him would have been another obstacle, as would Heero's own arms holding Duo. 

For a moment, Duo just lay there, head resting on Heero's chest, listening to the steady, comforting heartbeat beneath, sensing Heero's calm breathing as he exhaled gently into Duo's bangs, each breath lifting the passive arm Duo had across Heero's bare stomach. _So peaceful. I wish we could stay like this._ Duo tilted his head, and looked up. Heero's eyes were still closed. Sleeping. _Strange. I can't remember any time when I woke up before Heero..._ Slowly, Duo lifted the arm he had resting on Heero's belly, letting fingers graze skin as they moved toward that sleeping face. Duo could hardly believe Heero's hair-trigger reflexes didn't engage. _He looks so peaceful, so innocent when he sleeps. How would anyone suspect he is a cold-blooded soldier?_

Duo moved his hand to Heero's right temple, and used his fingers to lift away tousled bangs as they caressed a line across Heero's forehead. _Is it only in our sleep we remain children; cleansed of history, violence and tragedy?_ Fingers trailed gently down a cheek, curved along the jaw heading for the chin, when Heero's eyes blinked, then opened. He took Duo's hand in his, twisted the arm gently and kissed the exposed wrist. 

"Good morning, Duo." he said, smiling softly. 

"Morning, sleepyhead." came the grinning reply. Duo had an almost irresistible urge to say 'sleeping beauty' instead, but it was just too early in the morning to dodge lightly tempered fists. The mild tease would have to do. It did, judging by the mild expression of surprise he saw form in Heero's face as his hand was freed. 

"Sleepyhead? What do you mean?" 

"Well, it's not often I wake up before you do - besides, you didn't even react when I started moving." Duo's released hand had settled on a bare shoulder. The skin was as cold as the marble of an outdoor statue during winter. Not really surprising, though - As Duo had used Heero's chest for a pillow, he had also inadvertently exposed Heero's shoulders to the chilly air of the cabin. The very thought made Duo uncomfortable, and became something in need of immediate remedy. "Hey, aren't you getting a little cold up there?" Duo asked, fingers pricking Heero's shoulder. 

"Well... maybe a little..." came the hesitant reply. 

_I can't believe this! Did he just admit a _weakness_?_ Had Duo been after a cheap laugh, he'd undoubtedly have used this fact in every way possible. However, his mind was occupied with other thoughts at that moment. "Let's fix that, then!" Duo scooted up to the real pillow, dragging the pile of quilts and blankets along, making sure they were both covered by the warm embrace of the fabrics from neck to toe. Heero flipped over on his side to face Duo, eyes level. For a moment, the Wing pilot seemed lost for words, staring softly deep into purplish irises. 

"I.." He paused. "I..." Again, he stopped, blinked. "Your questions - perhaps I just sleep better - more secure - knowing that you're here." He spoke with such apparent gentle, quiet sincerity that Duo couldn't quite guess if he really meant it, or was trying to make Duo blush by saying something that corny. Either way, slight color did come to Duo's cheeks. Heero's smile widened. Duo laughed. He couldn't decide if it was the words or that really odd smile that made him laugh. Perhaps it was both. 

Tapping one finger at the tip of Heero's nose, he said "Well, aren't you the sweet talker. Do you say that to all the braided terrorist pilots you see?" 

"Only the ones I have a crush on." This time, his sincerity was slightly shaken by the smile. Duo caught himself snickering again. 

For a moment, they just lay there, losing themselves in each other's eyes, limbs in a comfortable, slightly tangled mess underneath the warm shelter of the blankets. Ever so slowly, they crept closer, neither daring to speak, look away nor pull the other closer. Their noses touched, and for a moment, they both froze, progress resumed as Duo leant in for but the briefest of kisses. Once broken, Duo whispered "I wish we could just stay like this for a while..." 

"You know we can't. In less than two hours we have to be ready for the incoming transmission." 

Duo sighed. "Yeah, I know - but for once I just wish I could skip it, forget all about missions or the war and my part in the whole mess." 

Smile gone now, Heero's face was as stone, completely unreadable. Still, it spoke quite clearly to Duo. 

"No such luck, huh? Well, I guess we'd better embrace the new day, then. At least, we're still alive. Can't be all bad, right?" He grabbed the corner of the blanket pile at Heero's side, and flipped away their warm shelter in one quick go. He could have sworn he saw Heero shiver at the sudden onrush of frosty air, something Duo himself definitely did. The cabin felt - if possible - cooler now than when they first got there two days ago. _Two days ago - This happened so _fast_... or did it?_

Heero sat up, stretching his arms skyward. "I'll deal with the fireplace." He surveyed the room. "Two of the lamps have gone out. Could you refill them with kerosene?" 

"Sure." 

Heero was already re-igniting the fire by the time Duo managed to sit upright on the edge of the bed, awakening fully at last, copying Heero's stretching. The crisp cabin air reminded him all too quickly what his body had gone through yesterday, muscle aches setting in all over, causing him to wince. The quick stretching of muscles during last night's wash had obviously not been sufficient. Over by the fireplace, Heero caught the grimace in the corner of his eye, immediately tossing the log in his hands to the growing flames. 

"Are you in pain?" came the concerned inquiry. 

"Nah, I'm fine. Just a little stiff after the stroll." Duo rotated one shoulder, trying to get some mobility back. As he copied the maneuver on the other shoulder, Heero walked up to him. 

"Lie down," he said. 

"Why?" 

"Just do it, okay?" 

With slight hesitation, Duo lay back down on the bed. 

"On your stomach, please." 

Raising a questioning eyebrow, Duo again complied, hugging one of the pillows for support. Though he had already guessed what Heero had in mind, he wouldn't miss the opportunity to tease for the world, so the moment Heero straddled his lower back, he turned his head and said "Heero, when I said 'not now, but later' yesterday, I didn't mean the next morning..." How he managed to keep a straight face while speaking, would remain a mystery. 

Heero however, had anticipated any number of such comments. His only reply was a quick knock on Duo's head, a barely audible muttered "Idiot." and his hands on Duo's shoulders, fingers seeking out target muscles before starting kneading gently. Before he could stop himself, Duo let go a slight sigh. He closed his eyes and let the magic fingers on his shoulders dance. 

And dance they did, limiting not to a single repertoire, but all from tap dancing to slow to polka, movements common only by the fact they felt good, providing relief for sore muscles. Shoulders, back, upper and lower arms all got the same treatment, all over much too soon - something both patient and therapist would agree with. Heero turned around to offer the same treatment to toes, feet, ankles, shins, calves and thighs. Then Heero realized what he was about to do, and stopped, turning to sit down on the edge of the bed, back to the patient, who grew impatient, as the warm caressing hands left his skin. Duo flipped his head over to look just as Heero stood up. Acting on mere impulse, he reached out to grab Heero's wrist as he tried to walk away, pulling him back. 

"What?" came the inquiry. 

With an impish grin, Duo replied "You missed a spot," and proceeded to place the caught paw on his buttocks. The minuscule gasp escaping Heero, along with the quickly repressed flush on his face, was more than enough to cause Duo to laugh, though he rapidly constrained himself. With his best questioning, slightly pouting look, he asked "Well?" 

Heero accepted the challenge, sat down on the bed and tried to treat the sculptured, clothed half-globes in the same way as his fingers had worked the rest of the body beside him, but it turned quite awkward, and the originally intended result was left unfulfilled. _Other_ desired results were fulfilled, however - that is, until Duo sighed again, which was the last straw. Heero lost his nerve, withdrawing his hands. "Done." 

"Already?" said the Cheshire Cat impersonator at his side, earning a glare. 

Trying to stand up to leave, Heero again found his wrist in a steel grip. 

"...and just where do you think you're going?" 

"Quit it, Duo. We have to get ready for-" 

"Not before I get a chance to return the favor - Somehow, I doubt you did enough stretching yesterday either." 

"No time. We-" 

"C'mon, Heero. Think I'll let you do _all_ the groping today?" 

Cue the crimson cheeks. 

Cue snickering. 

Cue indignation. 

Cue eager hand patting the mattress. 

Cue compliance. 

And unlike Heero, Duo definitely had no intention to halt before he had returned the _entire_ favor. 

Once satisfied, he leaned down to touch his lips to his patient's ear, ending the treatment, before walking over to his bags to find clothes. Despite the heated moment, the room remained cold. 

------- 

The gales outside had diminished in strength since the day before, but were still strong enough to make the log walls and roof of the cabin creak to life, as if warning that the roof might be blown away any second. Inside, the temperature was slowly becoming tolerable again, as the flames of the fire and lamps did their best to spread warmth throughout the cabin. Neither would openly admit it to the other, but they both felt cold now that there was nothing to distract them from the chill. 

Duo was busy going through their supplies, trying to find anything even remotely palatable in the vast mix of dry ration packs, mysterious dehydrated powder blends and highly preserved and vacuum-packed foods. Heero was carrying another bucket of fresh snow for the black cauldron over the fire. Soon, they'd have more hot water, last remnant of the night-cooled water from yesterday used for bathroom detail and other assorted morning routines less than an half an hour earlier. Just as the red plastic bucket slammed into the cauldron, releasing the white flakes in the heating water within, Duo threw his arms up in frustration and shouted "I don't _believe_ this! Didn't we pack anything even _remotely_ edible for this trip?" 

Looking over at Heero, he half-expected an answer praising the nutritional value of the tasteless foodstuffs packed. Instead he got a simple, surprising "No." 

Duo blinked. "No? You admit these _aren't_ good to eat?" 

"I have never claimed any of it tasted good - or anything at all. They fulfill our nutritional needs, that's all I've-" 

"Yeah, well, I'd like to have brought along something more appetizing than - than -" Duo was examining a small piece of what looked like meat, but in no way felt like it, brittle as it was, wrapped tightly in plastic. "- than _whatever_ this is." He threw the mystery meat back amongst the other goods. 

Like the eve before, Heero crossed his arms and leaned against the ledge above the fireplace. "I won't disagree with you on that. However, in places like this, we need something that weighs little, takes up little volume, and still provides enough sustenance. In addition, it has to preserve well, and be easy to prepare. Though those things might not appeal to your taste buds, they meet all those requirements." 

"Still, we could have brought along _something_. We're only to stay here for a short time - won't be much time for real food to spoil. Besides, it's not like we don't have refrigeration options here - just toss the thing outside, and it'll be deep-frozen within minutes." 

Heero's eerie smile returned. _I don't know why, but that still creeps me out_, Duo thought, returning to sifting through the dehydrated packages. _I guess I'll get used to that too, eventually._ Lost in his thoughts and actions, he didn't notice Heero sneaking up on him until possessive, strong arms wrapped around his torso, locking his own arms, and surprisingly gentle lips met his cheek. 

"Hey, stop that," Duo said unconvincingly, grinning. "I'm trying to find something worth eating here - don't get between me and my breakfast!" 

Soft lips moved to his earlobe, vaguely nibbling at it. Barely audible, Heero whispered in that ear "At least _I_ found something that tasted good..." 

Left momentarily speechless, Duo tried mentally counteracting the sudden face flush. Taking advantage of the pause, Heero let one arm search through the selection - or lack thereof - of foods, while the other still kept a tight grip around Duo. Finding what he searched for, he pulled out a small plastic bag filled with reddish powder. 

"Here," he said, offering the bag to Duo. "This is what's left of the instant soup we had when we first got here. You didn't seem to mind that so much." 

Breaking free from both mental and physical symbolic shackles, Duo grabbed the bag, spun around, placed a quick peck on Heero's cheek, said "Thanks!" and ran over to the fireplace, snagging a plastic bowl and a spoon on the way there. 

Placing a hand over his cheek, fingers briefly cherishing the spot just attacked, Heero observed as Duo scooped up a bowl-full of hot water, threw in the content of the bag and stirred frantically with the spoon, yet not spilling anything during the maneuver. Duo walked over to the table in the center of the cabin, sat down and began slurping spoonfuls of hot soup with great eagerness. Finally noticing Heero watching him, he said with a trademark grin "Hey, grab something to eat and join me, would you? Kinda sad to eat alone - you need food too, you know. No good fighting on an empty stomach!" 

Heero complied, took one of the ration packs and sat down at the end of the table opposite of Duo. As he carved off a small piece of the dry substance and promptly put it in his mouth, a soup spoon rattled as it hit the bottom of the bowl on the other side of the table. 

"Heero, I don't get it. Why did you bother to find me something with taste and not search for any for yourself? I bet that thing tastes just as good as compressed sawdust." 

Swallowing the granular mouthful, Heero replied "It might not be a luxury meal, but it covers all the needs of the body - unlike that soup of yours." _...but your assessment is correct_, his mind silently added. 

"Heh - and you don't think _enjoying_ the meal matters to the body?" Duo glanced at one of the empty plastic bowls. Seconds after the thought hit him, he reached out for one of them. "Tell you what - let's share the food. I'll take half of that... _whatever_ that is, and you get half my soup. That way, we both get 'the essential stuff', as you keep insisting on, and I don't keep this guilty conscience for taking all that's left of the truly digestible food. Agreed?" 

Heero nodded, not daring to show any relief, took a knife and split the brick of a ration pack in two. Duo meticulously poured parts of the content of his own bowl in to the empty one, handed the now filled bowl to Heero and got a plateful of 'compressed sawdust' in return. Still, something wasn't quite right. Another moment, and he realized what was amiss. 

"Hey, how come you gave _me_ the biggest half of this stuff?" 

Heero barely covered a smug half-smile. "I already had a mouthful of it - and you probably need the extra energy it'd provide more than me." 

Duo frowned. "Sheesh, one could almost think you've been taking lessons from Quatre." 

As he tried to wash down some of the dry brick with soup, Duo's thoughts strayed into an area of uncertainty they had entered the day before; a few nagging questions that once returned, refused to go away. He looked across the table where Heero was eating his half of the ration pack with the efficient motions of a machine. Being able to suppress nerve signals - not only those telling of pain, but those describing taste - obviously had its advantages. Even so, Heero seemed fed up with it soon enough, as he grabbed his spoon to dig in of his half of the soup. Duo didn't feel like interrupting, but they didn't have much time, and he needed answers. 

"Heero, can I ask you a question?" 

Pausing in mid-slurp of the hot stuff, Heero answered. "You just did." 

"Oh, ha-ha. Very funny. Look, it's hard enough to ask this as it is." 

Heero put his spoon down. The sudden seriousness in Duo's voice made him alert. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good, and best not be pushed aside. "Okay, ask ahead, Duo." 

It took a great deal of determination to utter the question, and he almost lost his nerve before finishing it. "Do you... do you love me?" 

One could see the vague features of puzzlement in the face usually as readable as a stone. "Considering the last few days, I find that an odd question to ask." 

"That's not an answer." 

Silence. After a few seconds of eternity came the awaited answer. "Yes." 

"...but you had to _think_ about it?" Duo's voice turned sour, facial expression matching. 

"Yes," came the truthful, yet hesitant response. Heero paused, but could see Duo wanted an explanation. "Duo, I'm not good with feelings or emotions. I've been trained to suppress them, to remove all things that could distract me from whatever assignment I'd get. It has become an instinct, a second nature. I'm not as good at understanding or dealing with emotions because of that - I _do_ have them, but not always the _understanding_ of them." 

Duo sighed. "Heero, _nobody_ understands all feelings or emotions. Most of the time, you just have to go by your gut reaction." 

"That's just it - I don't _have_ that instinct anymore - not as vividly as you, at least." 

"Oh, you have it, all right. You've read _me_ pretty well these last few days." 

Heero shook his head in denial. "Even if that was true, this has caused such a mess ever since I got to Earth. Dr. J was right - emotions confuse you." 

Dou laughed. "Yeah, I'll have to give the old goat that much - Heero, emotions confuses _everybody_. We just have to make the best of it." 

Stoneface returned. 

"Heero, why weren't you sure you loved me?" 

Heero crossed his arms and stared down into the table, as if carefully surveying every crack and crevice in the surface. "I don't know - You were the first to offer me friendship - offer me something and not expect anything in return. You got me out of that Alliance hospital and fished Wing out of the sea even though I had attempted to destroy both it and Deathscythe earlier. You even offered to help with repairs, and not once did you ask for anything in return. That fascinated me - and scared me, I think." 

"_Scared_ you?" Why would friendship scare you?" 

"Perhaps scare is the wrong word. 'Concerned' might be a better one. Anyway, it was because I partly thought you'd eventually demand something in return, and because all of the feelings you, Howard and the others kept triggering, despite how much I tried to shut them out. I couldn't - didn't _want_ to deal with them. Running away seemed easier." 

Duo suddenly felt an itch on the back of his neck, immediately redirecting a hand to deal with it. "Well, I owed you for that hospital thing, I put you there in the first place, after all. I don't blame you for running away, either. I've done it often enough when things got rough myself. I'm glad we ran into each other again, though." 

"Me too - Look, I'm sorry I didn't answer right away. It's just - I can't break something that's so deeply engraved in my mind easily. I won't blame you for hating me for that." 

Itch suddenly of no importance, Duo placed both hands on the table, half-heartedly reaching across, not wanting to cause alarm. "Heero," Duo said in a slightly harsh, deep tone of voice, trying to get Heero to look up from the table he had currently engaged in a staring contest. "Heero, look at me." The table won on walkover. "I want you to know something. Doubt everything else as much as you want, but not this; I love you. Got that?!" 

Heero nodded - and then they sat there, eyes locked, both silent. Duo got impatient. 

"Well?" 

"Well what?" 

"When you say 'I love you' to someone, you kinda hope for a reply." 

"Like what?" 

"Like the three little words in return." 

"What three little words?" 

Duo's nostrils flared. He wasn't quite sure if Heero was just teasing him now, or if he was still sincere. He hoped the former as the next sentence formed in his throat. "You know _damn_ well which three words I'm talking about!" 

" 'Omae o korosu' ?" 

Duo's jaw dropped. 

"Not that one, huh? 'Duo, shut up' ? 'Don't eat that' ? 'Where's my towel' ?" 

Duo was dumbstruck. When Heero finally smirked, he sighed in relief. _Thank God - he was only joking. For a second, I thought he was _serious_._ Then the exact words said dawned on him, causing confusion to return. "Towel?" 

Another smirk. "I guess you don't remember." 

"Remember what?" 

"Back on Howard's ship. When you fished Wing out of the ocean for me, I assessed the damage done, and needed time to figure out the most efficient way for repairs. I thought I'd take a shower while working out those details, so I took some clean clothes and a towel, and went to the shower room. When I got out of the shower, the towel, as well as both the dirty and clean clothes, were gone. Obviously, 'someone' had taken them. I had to walk stark naked and dripping wet back to my quarters. When I got there, I found all the missing items lying on my bunk." 

On the other side of the table, Duo's cheeks were once again getting slightly tinted. While using one hand to scratch the back of his neck again, he worked up the courage to look Heero in the eyes again. "Eh... Yeah, that was me. Sorry. Just meant it as a joke." 

"I knew." 

"Don't you mean 'I _know_'?" 

"I didn't mean the joke part, Duo. I _knew_ it was you who had taken my clothes already back then." 

Duo was surprised enough to momentarily stop scratching his neck. "You did? How did you know? And why didn't you say or do anything about it?" 

"As I was walking back to my quarters, the halls were completely empty - nobody ever saw me - except you. The door to your room was slightly ajar - just barely, but enough for me to notice. I also saw you staring at me with a grin the size of the moon within that tiny opening. I kept on walking, though. I didn't want you to know _I_ knew." 

"Heh - every time I've pulled a practical joke on you after that, you've reacted rather quickly - why didn't you back then?" 

"I didn't think breaking in your door with my good leg and assaulting you was a good idea, considering the circumstances. The ruckus would probably have alerted the rest of the crew, and then what would they think?" 

With his mind's eye, Duo briefly visualized just that; Heero in the buff, soaking wet, crashing in his door and tackling him. He shook his head and chased the image away before it turned manifest elsewhere. "Well... as I said, sorry I did that." 

"Don't be." 

"Why not?" 

"Seeing you ogling me like that-" 

"Hey, I wasn't staring _quite_ so intensely, thank you very much!" 

"Oh, _sure_. Your eyes were bulging out. It was a miracle they didn't leave your skull." 

Duo snorted, noting his disagreement for the record, causing Heero to back down a bit. 

"As I was saying, the way you looked at me, made me hope that you might want to be more than just friends. At the time, I didn't know _why_ I wanted that, and I... and I got scared - I told you that much already." 

Duo snickered. "I still can't quite imagine you being scared, Heero." 

"As much as you seem to think otherwise, Duo, I'm merely human." 

"With a few 'improvements', courtesy of Dr. J, of course." Duo punctuated his point with a wink. 

Heero ignored both the verbal and expressive comment. "That little incident sparked several things - It felt good to be wanted, admired, but I also wanted revenge. Both sensations disturbed me. I couldn't block either of them out completely, but I tried. I also tried to stay away from you to prevent them from growing in strength. In the end, I wanted to flee - and I did, taking out my revenge at the same time." 

"... using Deathscythe as spare parts." 

"Yeah. I'm sorry about that." 

"It's okay... _now_. So, you _do_ love me?" 

"Yes." No hesitation this time. 

Cupping a hand around his ear, leaning in closer, Duo teased "The three little words, please?" 

Heero's smile returned, less eerie than before, but still unsettling. "I love you. I love you, Duo." 

"Good. I love you too, Heero." Duo grinned as another cliché question entered his mind, and on impulse, he felt the need to ask it. "There, now that that's finally settled, can I ask you something else?" 

Heero didn't know if it was safe to answer 'yes'. Who knew what his now declared love would try to dig out next? Still, best to appease. "Sure." 

"Have you loved me ever since we first met?" 

Heero's face contorted slightly. He'd just told otherwise, hadn't he? Perhaps the braided one was searching for something else. Against better judgement, Heero opted to play along. "Duo, when we first met, you had me at gunpoint." 

"Well, yeah, but-" 

"And then you shot me!" 

"Yeah, but-" 

"Twice!" Heero barely contained his agitation and slight anger. 

Duo couldn't help but laugh at Heero's expression, and he struggled to regain control. "Well, what can I say - looks like Cupid had to use something with a higher caliber than an arrow to reach your shielded heart." 

Anger dissipating to annoyance, Heero smirked. "...jerk." 

Not missing a beat, Duo replied "Are you offering one?" The reward; slight crimson in Heero's face, caused by embarrassment, not frustration. 

Wanting to escape the fact he was turning a grand shade of tomato, Heero looked at his watch. "We should finish eating. There's not much time left before the scientists will contact us, and we still have to pack things up here and do a quick maintenance check on the suits." 

With a quick salute and a "Yes, sir!", Duo dug into his now lukewarm soup, hoping to avoid eating too much of the dry ration pack by tossing it away when Heero wasn't looking. He had no such luck, as Heero never took his watchful gaze away from him until it was all digested. There was more reasons behind that slight motherly look than concern over diet however, something Duo totally failed to see. 

------- 

They had packed their things sufficiently to be ready to leave within minutes, regardless what the orders might be. They had checked their gundams for possible damage from the weather, not finding anything serious. Tightening a few bolts were the high end of the scale. During it all, however, they had barely exchanged a word. Duo didn't say anything as he didn't want to distract Heero, intently focused on preparations as he appeared to be. In turn, Heero simply didn't feel he had anything to talk about, as if the conversation over breakfast had emptied him. 

Noting the time yet again, Heero signaled to Duo to get ready for the incoming transmission. Duo opened Deathscythe's hatch, and settled inside, bringing the communications systems online. Heero remained standing by the still open hatch, to Duo's slight frustration. The wind wasn't exactly making the open cockpit comfortable heat-wise, and in a far corner of his mind, the observation that Heero had kept his distance ever since breakfast began rooting itself. Both urged action. 

"Why are you just standing there, Heero? There's room enough for two in here, you know." 

"No, there isn't. There's only one seat." 

Duo grinned, and took a firm hold of Heero's wrist. "Aw, I think we can work around that." In one swift pull, he dragged the Wing pilot inside and swirled him around, making sure Heero would land flat in his lap. Deathscythe's hatch closed automatically, locking the worst chill out. Heero was momentarily stunned by Duo's rash action, looking mildly puzzled. Giving him a quick peck on the cheek, Duo said "What? Think you're the only one who can take some initiative?" 

Heero remained a bit dazzled. Duo laughed, and embraced Heero in a solid bear hug. 

Before Heero could reply, Professor G's notable nose appeared on the screen. While one part of his brain immediately asked the question why the scientist bothered with both audio and video, in blatant disregard for security, when a simple narrow-beam all-text transmission was all that was required, the words never had a chance to make it into speech before Duo started chattering. As always, it proved futile to speak faster than the motor-mouth master. 

"Hey, pestilence! How's it going?" 

With an ominous voice, Heero said "Duo. Shut up." With that, Duo relaxed the embrace, not quite comfortable with the sudden shift of mood Heero appeared to go through. 

On the screen, the geriatric human version of a lying Pinocchio barely contained a snicker. "I couldn't agree more - we don't have much time, and this will be done so much quicker if you two remain perfectly silent until I'm done with this briefing. Clear?" 

Heero nodded. Duo huffed indignantly, but kept his tongue. 

"We have finished analyzing the data you sent us, and we have some bad news. We also have some worse news, but we'll get to them soon enough. Boys, sorry to have to tell you this, but you have to return to the OZ base ASAP. And once more on foot." 

Heero didn't appear to react at all to the news. Duo was another story entirely. 

  
  
  
-------------- 

TBC, if requested. 

  
  
  
  
  



	5. Taciturnity

  
**White Plain**   
#5 - Taciturnity   
  


AN: With ten minutes to go on my self-imposed deadline, I'm considering myself done editing this - As much as I like 'tinkering' with text, it kinda loses its charm on the tenth or fifteenth go on the same chapter... As always, thanks to readers and reviewers - it's what keeps me ( and this story ) going. 

Speaking of which... *skims reviews again* Ah... 'Avoid the angst'. Oh. Err... Uhm... 'I'm very, very sorry?' ;-) 

Nah, it ain't much. Just a little bit. 'sides, I couldn't write 'good', prolonged angst even if I tried - which I have, and the result of that spoke for itself. So, without further ado, kill the romance, cue the action, and don't physically hurt the scribbler for what's below. Feel free to _tell_ me how you feel, though. You know how. ;-) 

-------------- 

Duo found himself blinking three times in rapid succession, not entirely sure he'd heard his mentor correctly. 

"_Excuse_ me? What the heck do you mean, on _foot_? Haven't we already finished with the secrecy part? Why don't we just-" 

Duo would have gone on, a string of colorful expletives already forming in his mind, had not Heero signaled him to shut it with his hand. On the screen, Professor G looked none too comfortable, knowing this was not quite what they had originally planned. The old man looked away for a second, sighed and continued his briefing. 

"Look, let me explain and you'll understand. I'm risking full audio and video feed simply because I didn't think you'd believe me if I just sent you a text message - for that reason, I want this done quickly. First, it appears the staff out there has been working on energy weapons - not the standard fare, though - no beam cannons or energy rifles. By the schematics stored in the backup files you recovered, it looks like they've tried to create a powerful EMP - Electromagnetic Pulse - weapon of sorts. Now, such devices aren't exactly new. EMP shock grenades are well-known, as are many other forms of EMP-generating items, such as nuclear weapons - of course, then it's a side effect, and hardly worth noting, for some strange reason." G let a short, nervous laughter burst through. "Anyway, by the looks of the data, they were very busy putting together a prototype. Essentially, it will act as an oversized EMP shock grenade stuck on top of a Leo chassis - only, this thing doesn't explode and deplete, it recharges over time. Its range should also be significantly greater. If fully charged, it might send out an EMP shockwave capable of destroying all unshielded electronic circuitry up to a radius of at least a hundred and fifty feet. The radius of merely _damaged_ systems would be well beyond that, perhaps up to five hundred feet." 

Duo was opening his mouth to argue, but G caught his breath again quickly enough to beat him to the speech. "Now, I know what you're about to say. Yes, we _did_ shield the electronic circuitry on the gundams. However, we did so considering the _strongest_ EMP weapon on the market that wouldn't just incinerate the armor in the first place. This thing goes far beyond that. Therefore, if you attack the base using your gundams, you could end up paralyzed in the middle of the battle. It all depends on whether or not the engineers at the base has put together the prototype yet or not. We'd rather not risk it, so you're going in on foot. We'd like you to get the latest data on this weapon for further analysis. You'll have to get to the mainframe for that. Once you have the data, destroy the mainframe, the prototype, if finished, the backup systems and any spare parts for the prototype. Without these things, it is unlikely the scientists can recover enough of the research to build a new prototype before we can find a proper way to counter it - or use it ourselves. We don't want the EMP weapon, though. You see, the OZ engineers might have unknowingly stumbled on to something far more valuable, though they're probably a good way from noticing yet, and we want to keep it that way. A side-effect of the EMP process indicates a way to make defensive shields of pure energy - the possible applications of this tech is... Well, we _want_ it. With the somewhat incomplete backup data, it'd take years to figure out the exact method to stabilize such shields. With the up-to-date mainframe data, it might be done in mere _months_. So, go at it. The base is still maintaining radio silence, so I assume your last infiltration was a success. OZ traffic doesn't indicate any reinforcements heading in that direction, either. Oh, and another thing - you have to hurry. The blizzard is dissipating much faster than we anticipated, it might have dissolved completely within a day, and when it does, Aires air patrols and spy satellites could become a serious hazard. No blizzard, no natural cover, trickier to sneak in, easier to be spotted. Any questions?" 

Duo, still fuming over the prospect of another extended trek, calmed down enough to think of practicalities. "Yeah... We have enough explosives, but we're short on remote detonators. We wouldn't be able to blow it all up in one go, some of it will have to be time bombs, or directly activated charges. Regardless, we wouldn't be able to get far on foot before the fireworks start. How are we meant to escape, even if we _got_ the precious information you want?" 

"Use your imagination, Duo. I'm sure you two will think of _something_. Anything else?" 

"Should we attempt to recover any prototype we find?" Heero asked. 

"Negative. It would probably be too bulky, and hardly useful for our purposes. We just want to understand the energy shield effect. Dispose of any prototype in any way you see fit." 

Noting no further questions were posed, Professor G looked away from the screen, reaching for the 'kill transmission' switch. "Okay, best of luck to you, boys. Contact us when you have the data and have destroyed the targets." The screen went black. Heero immediately opened the hatch and stepped out, put a foot in the stirrup of Deathscythe's pilot-winch, activated it and descended to the ground. He was already in the cabin rearranging their backpacks before Duo followed him, though not before carefully closing the hatch and making a quick inspection for crowbar marks, just in case. 

He made it as far as the door before Heero emerged, shoving a backpack at him, nearly knocking the wind out of him. "Here, take this. Get your snowshoes on, and let's go." Before Duo could regain his breath enough to form a reply, Heero was already at the edge of the makeshift tarpaulin hallway, donning the full winter walking gear, ski poles and all. "Get moving, slowpoke, or we won't be there before it's tomorrow." 

Duo put on the gear as fast as he could as Heero vanished from the entrance, not intending to wait a single second more. 

-------- 

The long break of silence bothered Duo to no end. Not a word had been exchanged between the two wayfarers for hours. He had caught up with Heero soon enough, but the brisk tempo set by the Wing pilot felt even worse than that of the previous hike. Now, if only he could get a chance to talk to pass the time, distract him from the way his body screamed for a break - things Heero's rushing and unresponsiveness to Duo's every attempt at starting a conversation made impossible. 

"Heero, hold up a sec." 

No reaction. The back before him kept moving at the same, steady pace. 

"Okay, that's _it_!" Duo shouted, grabbing Heero's shoulder, forcefully turning him around, bringing them both to a standoff standstill. "What the heck is going on here, Heero?" 

Heero looked at him as if he had just asked why the color green looked green and not blue, why up was up and not sideways, or a similar pointless question. "We're on a mission." 

"I know _that_, I'm not a total idiot. I mean, why the heck are you so damn unresponsive? Two days ago, you could barely speak more than a full sentence or two to me at a time, and not endure my company for long without striking out hoping to shut me up, verbally or otherwise. Then you went all mush on me, offering-" Duo paused himself at the thought. "Well, you know that bit well enough. And then there was the kisses yesterday, and the way you acted this morning - I don't think I ever thought you had that much... much... _sap_ in you - but as soon as old man pestilence broke the transmission, you went back to the freakish soldier mode of yours, not reacting to anything, possibly short of a gunshot or two." Duo paused to catch his breath, determined to finish, yet highly worried the question that brooded in his mind might destroy all if he voiced it. "Heero... Are you... Are you having second thoughts?" 

For a few moments, there was no sound but the whisks of the wind. Even though Heero's face was as stoic as could be, Duo saw the brain behind was working overtime, trying to make a decision, creating a 'proper' response. Not a heartfelt one, not a spontaneous one. A created, artificial one, a designed one. Heero's eyes hardened, and Duo braced himself for something he probably didn't want to hear. 

"Duo, I am not having second thoughts. However, we're on a mission now. I can't let anything distract me - or you - from completing our objectives. We both risk dying, that's part of the game. I don't want to have to think either of us might die today, or tomorrow, or at any moment from now until the war is over - it wouldn't be productive." 

"So you're saying that while we're on call, it's okay to care, but as soon as the mission starts, that's all that matters?" 

Heero hesitated slightly before answering. "A bit crude, but essentially what I mean, yes." 

At first, Duo felt like shouting at Heero, digging out a whole lifetime worth of accumulated expletives and colorful curses. After a few seconds of thought, however, he realized the way Heero's mind had reasoned. Cold, hard, logical - and as reluctant as he was to admit it, perhaps right. _Heero_ might not be able to handle the assignments if concern clouded his mind. He'd be damned if he was to think or act the same way, though. Duo did not feel like turning his emotions on and off like a switch. He let out a sigh. At least the words he had dreaded most, had been left unsaid, worries unfounded. Heero's sentiments weren't gone, only repressed by the necessities of war. 

"Never mind, then..." Duo muttered, slowly resuming the trek towards the base. Heero didn't move, mind still working in overdrive. At last jolting into action, he took a few fast steps to catch up, and tried voicing out his mind's latest fabrication. 

"Duo, I - Duo, can you promise me something?" 

"What?" 

"Promise me that you'll put the mission over _anything_ else, okay? Regardless what happens-" 

Duo gave him a dull, disappointed look, as if he almost expected this request. "Sure. Whatever." 

The rest of the walk was done in complete silence. 

------ 

As they approached the last low ridge of snow before the OZ complex, Heero signaled Duo to do as he did; lay down on the snow and crawl the last bit up to the ridge crest, just in case some sentinel at the base was actually tending his or her job, rather than trying to keep warm in the one guard tower shielded from the cold winds. The howls of heaven had mellowed as the sky had darkened, and the dancing white particles had gone from a raging polka trot to that of a tranquil tango, no longer frantic, but far from still. Professor G had been right with the weather update. Hopefully, the cloud cover would last long enough for them to cause a bit of havoc, and get away safely. 

From one of the many coat pockets in his white jacket, Heero fished out a set of pocket binoculars. Unfolding the device, he glanced briefly over at Duo. Duo didn't look back, but rather glared emptily at the base perimeter. That, and the lack of a smile on the normally oh-so cheerful one, made Heero keep his silence. Regardless what he said, he couldn't top the job he'd done earlier. 

Through the binoculars, it became obvious the base was still guarded as lax as it had been the day before. Perhaps Duo's mad scheme had worked, after all. Just how well it had worked, there was no way to tell. However, the security was, if even possible, even more shabby. Of the four corner guard towers, only the one with glass insulation was manned, and all the searchlights, except those at the main gate, had been turned off. For a moment, the word 'trap' flashed in Heero's mind, the sloppiness displayed in protection here too great to be believed. Nevertheless, there could be no turning back now. Perhaps they had just gotten incredibly lucky, for once. Sweeping the base a few times, taking in the position of patrols, searchlights, doors, windows with potential spectators and so forth, a battle plan slowly began forming in his mind. 

Duo's dulled eyes appeared to survey the soon-to-be battleground, but his mind was elsewhere, still brooding on the recent past. He couldn't help feel a bit betrayed, betrayed by a heart he thought had gone soft, yet remained guided by the cool of logic and reason. With the same frame of mind, he understood what Heero had tried to tell him; concentrate on the mission, leave your feelings behind while you get the job done. Duo reached a conclusion - if Heero could be such a cold bastard about this, so could he. _Mission first, whatever's left afterwards._ The words felt cold, alien, out of place as they roamed through his mind, seeking acceptance, or even approval. He welcomed being torn from them when Heero tapped his shoulder. 

At last truly noticing the near lifeless eyes, Heero felt a flash of concern pass through him, a flash dampened by the soldier mind before he formed his next words, reshaping what might have been sentences of comfort into mission orders. It did clear the blur in Duo's face, but not for the right reasons. 

"Okay, this is how we do it. The door we used yesterday, appears unguarded. I want you to sneak in there. Do you remember the blueprints we saw on the computer screen yesterday?" 

Duo nodded. 

"Good. The mainframe computer was clearly marked. Find your way in there, and copy the data G wanted. Once that's done..." 

Heero reached into his own backpack, and held out an encased computer disc, which Duo accepted. 

"Use the program on this one to scramble their entire system. This disc contains a really nasty worm I typed up before we headed up here. It should completely shred their software in minutes. It probably won't be detected for a short while - before that happens, you are to place explosives in every section of the mainframe system." 

Again, he reached into his backpack, and brought out a handful of remote detonators. 

"Use these too. Tie all the explosives you plant to one of these, and these detonators to your detonator switch. Don't blow it up until the worm has had time to work a while." 

"Heero, wait a minute - as soon as they detect the worm, or stumble across some of the explosives, they'll go to full alert. They'll seal off the backup unit in an instant, if they have any brains. If the mainframe goes, you can be damn sure they'll do everything to protect the backup." 

"Probably. That'll be _my_ problem, though. I'll head for the hangar and destroy whatever parts or prototypes OZ has built. I won't need the remote detonators for that. I'll just make sure the charges can be set off by gunfire. That'll do. After that, I'll get to the backup systems." 

"How? If they seal that off, and-" 

Heero smirked. "I have an idea. Don't worry." 

Duo was about to argue, but decided not to bother. Why try to change a mind so firmly set? Deep in his mind, an answer formed, but it never got heard by his consciousness now so chilled and concentrated. 

"You're the best at stealth and infiltration, so I'm counting on you to get in there and deal with the mainframe. Once things begin to liven up, I'll be ready to create a secondary destruction zone in the hangar, while you get out of here with the data for G and the others. How, is up to you - I recommend stealing a vehicle over walking back to the cabin, though. When you get there, take Deathscythe and go. Don't worry about me. Clear?" 

"Clear," Duo muttered, in a tone anything but happy. 

"If all goes as planned, we'll meet up at Quatre's safehouse afterwards." 

"Fine." Duo's voice was somewhat dejected, but the soldier either didn't notice - or pretended not to. 

------- 

Duo had not encountered the slightest snag in getting over the fence, across the open, dark yard, through the side entrance of the research complex, or sneaking along the eerily empty corridors within. For a moment, he wondered if the place had been completely abandoned - the blinking hallway light still hadn't been attended to. Rapidly approaching footsteps and voices informed him otherwise. He ducked into an open side door, and found himself in a storage room yet again. Along one wall were shelves with all kinds of solvents, cans of polish, cleaning utensils and the like. Along the other, racks of crispy, clean white coats shone as if they'd been processed by the items along the first shelf. Pure luck would have it there was a lab coat in Duo's size among them, something he found out by quickly digging through them, turning the neat, ordered racks into a few assorted piles on the storage room floor. Hurriedly he swapped the outer layer of the thermosuit for the coat. Making sure his braid was tucked inside the lab coat, along with all the explosives and detonators he'd need, he searched for something to mask his face a little better than the coat's unfolded collar. The mainframe room wouldn't be a sterile room, so surgical masks were out of the question, but there had to be _something_. Every corporation and organization loved to label their employees - free, walking advertisement or propaganda posters were hard to come by without using manual labor. The coat had one great dirt spot, after all; the OZ logo stitched in above the left breast pocket. It was on one of the top shelves he found what he was looking for; out of place though it was, the white baseball cap with the OZ logo front and center would help disguise him even further - if only at least a few of the lab's employees had such a bad sense of style and fashion they'd be wearing the thing too. A gamble was in order, but for once, Duo felt the odds were in his favor. After all, why wouldn't the OZ minions consider their work their pride and joy, and make a display of it? 

Back in the hallway, Duo made a quick pace through the corridors towards the central computer complex, keeping his head down the entire way. The few people he passed, didn't even notice him, but he wouldn't take chances. The two goons he had encountered yesterday might have given the entire base his description. The only thing that worried him, was security checkpoints - a worry that was unjustified, as there proved to be none, despite how they had been marked out on the base blueprint. Cutbacks in the security budget perhaps, or just the assumption post-planning that they wouldn't need it. Still... _This is too easy,_ his mind whispered to him. _Even as remote as this place is, they should have some way of securing the most precious asset at the base._ Duo mentally shook his head to remove the slight hesitation creeping in on him, and adjusted the baseball cap down a bit, curving it even further. 

Once inside the room, the sheer size of the mainframe system had him a bit baffled. It was obvious OZ procurement had been a bit overzealous in judging the computational needs of the base, unless they were planning something entirely different than what G and the others thought. Still, that didn't matter now. He had a mission to complete, and complete it he would. An available terminal tucked away in a cubicle row on one side of the large, open room looked promising. Closing the door with his foot, seating himself on the chair, fishing out another of G's storage discs and inserting it in the terminal's slot, he began searching for the information sought. Long, dexterous fingers and a dedicated mind found what they wanted within minutes. 

------- 

Heero had had no problems making his way to the hangar. With nearly all the searchlights off-line, and the few patrols virtually standing still, he could almost make a beeline directly there. As he prowled up along one of the hangar's walls, he noticed something he had missed in his previous surveillance sweep, because of obstructing buildings. On the far side of the compound stood three Leos, two of them in seriously bad shape, the last merely lurching a bit. One lacked an arm and had a gaping hole on the left side of the cockpit, the blast damage indicated an _outward_ explosion, not a hit. Another lay on the ground, torso and legs separated, long black metal strands held in one hand. It took a few seconds for Heero to realize the black metal was what was left of a shattered Leo beam rifle. The last suit appeared less damaged, as it was still in one piece. However, the torso was tipped forward, and the arms hung lifeless towards the ground. Inwardly, Heero smirked. If anything, this confirmed his suspicions - the weapon prototype had not only been assembled, it was operational, the first test evidently a success. _Too bad for OZ. I'll use their own weapon against them._

------- 

Having commenced the download of the EMP data, Duo stepped out of the cubicle, took a piece of paper from a nearby printer, grabbed a pencil from the breast pocket of an abandoned lab coat two cubicles down, wrote 'out of order' in big letters on the paper and returned to put his masterpiece across the terminal's keyboard. After turning off the screen, the time had come to distribute some future fireworks. 

Casually making his way through the mainframe compound was easy enough. Researchers were scrambling to and fro amidst the vast landscape of the open room, making it look more like a rushed fast-food joint than a scientific establishment. Now and then Duo halted, reaching into one pocket for a small lump of what looked like putty, and into another for a detonator. He quickly applied the little mix in hard-to-find places, such as under office desks, where he could feel old pieces of gum had been left untouched for untold ages, or behind stacks of paper, junk or terminals where the layers of dust rivaled that of G's old workshop - that is, it could be measured in full inches. 

For some reason, Duo was convinced his actions might tidy up the place, rather than wreck it. 

------- 

The hangar was as poorly guarded as anywhere else on the base. The two guards at the main entrance were nearly dozing off on duty, keeping themselves on the inside of the barely open hangar doors, seeking shelter from the still dissipating storm outside. Sneaking past them was no trouble at all, given the disorganized mess of crates to hide behind scattered all over the hangar. Yesterday's shipment had apparently not been properly sorted out yet. 

Standing vigil over the chaos were three standard Leos along the each of the two side walls, another guarding the far wall, and two oddly looking machines put in the center of it all, none of them currently manned. The rear of the two was little more than a Leo undercarriage, all of the upper works except the cockpit carved away, discarded by its feet. The front one had undergone the same treatment, but where there was once a trapezoidal torso and a set of arms, there was now a huge sphere, only breached by the flat section below where it attached to the Leo waist, and the cockpit carving out a small piece of the ball. Atop of the globe, was what looked like the standard monitor system - the 'head' - Leos used. Even from a distance, it was evident this Leo had far less armoring than what was usual, and additional layers of what looked like plastic had been wrapped around the legs. By the cockpit, a small flap of the same material could be seen poking out, indicating it too was shielded by this. The EMP prototype was indeed the ugly duckling of mecha, but as the three disabled suits outside showed, one should not judge a book by its cover. This thing might look like a ball of fluff, defenseless - but it sure packed a punch if fired up, made evident by evidence. 

Making his way through the crate maze, Heero placed one third of the explosives he carried in an opened crate next to a makeshift workshop close to the half-finished second prototype, pulling some discarded piece of plastic to cover up the volatiles from inquisitive eyes. Another third of hazardous material went amidst assorted unpacked electrical systems across the hangar, then deftly covered by a section of plywood. The last third of soon-to-go-boom got stuck inside a disconnected chocolate vending machine, still awaiting installation in the main complex. The candy might have a bit more of a crunch to it than any OZ snacker slacker would anticipate. Of course, Heero intended to make the sweet stuff airborne long before it could be eaten. All he had left to do, was preparing to run for the EMP Leo's cockpit the moment Duo set off the other half of the explosives. 

------- 

Duo had finished his round, and upon returning to the terminal, found the download complete. He quickly replaced the data disc with the disc Heero had given him, made sure the digitally diseased worm gained entrance into the inner workings of the mainframe system, and started walking out of the complex. 

Halfway down the first corridor, he could hear agitated voices of scientists that obviously had discovered Heero's creation in their systems. Despite the ever-growing distance between him and the voices as he walked away, the volume appeared to remain the same, hard words of frustration turning into shouts of despair. After making his way back to the storage room where he had found the lab coat, Duo changed back into the thermosuit, preparing for a rapid exit. There was only one duty to attend to first... 

He heard footsteps outside rushing towards the computer nexus. It seemed like an eternity before they grew distant enough to encourage Duo to open the door even slightly. He had no desire whatsoever to repeat yesterday's grand fiasco of running into OZ guards on a stroll. Turning a corner, another desperate voice came from the computer complex, one word only; 

"Bomb!" 

Distant cries, screams and stampeding feet came next. Deciding now was as good a time as any, Duo reached for his remote detonator switch, flipped the protective red cap aside, leveled the small tube horizontally, momentarily closed his eyes - and pressed the button. 

------- 

Through the weakening wails of the dying blizzard, across the large compound, through the shielding hangar doors, the explosion was still deafening to Heero, hidden behind a cargo crate by the foot of the modified Leo as he was. If nothing else, it sure woke up the two guards by the large doors. Heero could see them grabbing their rifles and rushing out towards the scene of havoc, as did the patrols and the few active guard Leos outside. Waiting an extra minute for good measure, he scaled the EMP Leo, pried open the hatch and pulled out his gun, removing the safety. Within two seconds, one bullet went through plastic, another through plywood and a third through thin metal and candy, each one triggering a significant blast, enough to make the runaway guards halt and double back, followed by three of the patrolling Leos. Heero got inside the cockpit, closed the hatch and powered up the engines. A brief look at the controls revealed most of them to be familiar, standard Leo controls. All the gear usually used to control arms were gone, however. In their place was a large multi-buttoned console. Fortunately, each button was clearly labeled. Luck would have it the OZ engineers were as forgetful as any others, and had yet not memorized what each button did. 

The suit's sensors came to life, flickering screens revealing the landscape outside. The guards on the ground weren't too much of a worry. Even with the paper-thin armor of this suit, normal gunfire would have a hard time scoring a vital hit. OZ designers might not be the smartest people on the planet, but they weren't completely stupid. He hoped. 

The other three Leos outside were of much greater concern. Taking but a few seconds to survey the control panel of the EMP weapon, Heero found what he was looking for, quickly pressing the primer button. Behind him, he could hear a vast generator building up its power. A small gauge indicated the current level of charge, and it rose rapidly. Satisfied with this, Heero started moving the EMP Leo out, kicking aside cargo crates as he made his way out into the snow. 

The first tell-tale rattle of gunfire tapped across the sphere-shaped suit, bringing loose a few flakes of sheet metal. It did not deter Heero from advancing. His only chance to use the powerful device humming with a high-pitched tune behind him, was to close ground quickly, and unleash the force aching to escape the sphere. So he did. The modified Leo crashed into the first of its former companions, causing it to fall on its back. Making good headway towards the other two, Heero ignored the bits of metal each enemy hit shaved off of the sphere. Hoping he was at optimal distance, he halted and pressed the large red button marked 'Fire'. What followed, was the greatest fireworks the base had yet seen. 

------- 

Duo had escaped the compound without incident, and was now sneaking along the walls trying to find a valid escape route. Running overland the way he came would be suicidal; he'd never get away in time. If OZ had had an airworthy suit or a mobile suit carrier parked anywhere, that would have been dandy. However, he had no such luck. Yet, he was not completely without the aforementioned item, as he came across three snowmobiles beneath a tarpaulin cover. Not wasting any time, Duo revealed them to the elements, delighted to find this winter version of the motorcycle far easier to jumpstart, as there was no key, no ignition, only a heavy-duty ripcord. In a last-minute streak of creative thinking, he gathered up the tarpaulin into a huge ball, attaching it to the back of the vehicle, pulled the cord and made the engine roar with the throttle, heading towards the closest section of fence. 

It was obvious he'd be unable to simply drive out the main gate, as it was probably the only point on the whole base that was actually guarded. Instead, he made a beeline for the fence, stopping at a slight distance, took out a grenade from his backpack, pulled the pin and threw it against the barrier of chain link and snow. Seconds later, twisted metal gave way to an onramp of disorganized white. Remarkably, the blast called little attention, if any. Apparently, OZ had bigger things to deal with. Duo grinned at the thought, before attaching the piece of tarpaulin to the snowmobile, extending it in a large rectangular shape behind it. He took one metal pole from the destroyed fence, along with some of the threads of the chain link, put the bar across the lower end of the rectangle and stitched a small section of the tarpaulin over it with the chain link metal, and did the same to fasten the other end of the canvas to the back of the vehicle's seat, giving the snowmobile a cape, metal pole making sure the end of the cape would drag along the ground. With luck, this ad-hoc device would mess up the vehicle's tracks enough to make it much harder to track from the air, which was the largest threat now that fresh snow wouldn't cover his tracks for him. 

As he revved the engine, he saw an odd-looking Leo run across the open area between the hangar and the main research compound. The way it moved, along with the fact it nearly trampled down another Leo, convinced Duo who the pilot was. Enjoyable though it might be to watch, his lot was not to remain, but to flee with the data, as he'd been told to. A slight queasiness came across him as he saw the sphere-shaped Leo come to a halt. Seconds later, he found himself rubbing his blinded eyes, cursing himself for watching the blast. 

Rapidly blinking to remove the temporary dizziness, Duo again prepared to charge the makeshift onramp, released the engine and caused the snowmobile, cape and all, to jump over the wrecked fence and onto the great white plain, escape route now being anywhere but back. 

------- 

The EMP Leo shook violently as the charge went off, electromagnetic pulse irradiating in every direction, intent to cause havoc wherever it went, except to its source. The closest suit appeared to spontaneously combust as the pulse overcharged its engines beyond what fail-safe cut-offs could manage. The second one had time to watch its rifle and arm splinter before the sensor head shattered into a thousand shards, some of which sought out the armor of the third, yet never penetrated it, as said armor melted away from internal heat build-up in the munitions depots of its shoulder mounts. On the ground, some of the ant-like soldiers discarded communications equipment, automatic weaponry and anything else that contained even the slightest of electronics, as each of these items either blew up outright, sent sparks flying everywhere or simply ceased to function. Seeing the power this prototype held, Heero was only too glad they hadn't attacked with their gundams. The result would not have been pretty. He would not allow himself time to gloat until the job was done, however - And there was still one job to do before they had come full circle; the backup system. 

The controls were still shaking in the pulse's aftermath, but there was no time to spare. By now, the rest of the base should be aware of the renegade Leo, and the rest of the OZ Leos on patrol would soon vector in on him, along with ground troops carrying shoulder-mounted missile launchers or other heavy anti-suit weaponry. The shakes of the Leo slowly subsided as it trotted toward the complex, but they refused to die. The hum of the EMP device intensified, already charging up for a second blast. The noise wasn't as steady as last time, however - yet another item Heero's mind registered and filed under 'slight concern'. He did not halt the machine until he was along the wall shielding the backup system from the outside world. With one solid kick by the titanium foot, the wall buckled. A second kick made it cave in, revealing even more OZ soldier ants scurrying to safety within. As Heero prepared a third kick to remove the last of the shielding the backup would have from an EMP charge, the gunfire rattled across the suit's back again, and something impacted in the leg it balanced on, knocking it over. A slight curse escaped the pilot as he got back up, giving the wall the final blow. No longer caring about the disturbing wails the generators behind him was making, he pushed the red button again - and the world around him erupted. 

------- 

Duo was going in a huge half-circle around the base in order to get back to the safehouse. His eyes fell less often to the road ahead of him, or the cape-disrupted track he left behind, compared to the number of glances he made at the OZ base, wanting to see Heero get out of there. Although he knew the longer Heero kept them occupied, the further he'd get away with the data, but a narrow escape together felt better than a secure escape apart - not that he was certain how Heero thought he could get away from the fight. Sure, OZ's EMP Leo was powerful, but it couldn't fly, and it wouldn't be very fast going through the soft snow. Against better judgement, he stopped. In his left breast pocket, he found his own set of foldable binoculars. Aided by these, he located the renegade Leo kicking in a section of wall of the research complex. Seconds later, as the suit fell due to a lucky OZ hit, he caught himself letting out a slight gasp, earning the sensation of half a mouthful of snow, courtesy of the wind, to add to the twisting feeling in his gut. Seeing the suit get back up made him remember to breathe, and sigh. The suit kicked the wall again, but then came to a complete halt. Something was wrong, very wrong. And then, the blast came. Again, he was blinded by the flash of the EMP surge, again he struggled to regain a clear vision. As he peered through the binoculars once more, however, he couldn't locate the EMP Leo. 

------- 

The generators had overloaded, just a fraction of a second before unleashing the full force of the pulse. The twisting energies of the charge reached out in all directions, not only against the guard Leos approaching, or the men on the ground carrying electrical equipment, or the backup systems that sputtered and died in a firestorm of sparks, but also at the plastic shielding of the modified Leo, burning big holes in the protective material and searching out vulnerabilities within as well as outside the sphere. Consoles and screens sent clouds of sparks, glass shattering all around him. Acting on mere instincts, Heero blew the hatch of the cockpit away using the emergency escape controls, but found himself falling to the ground without ever jumping out, as the last death throes of the generator blasted away the rear cockpit walls, forcefully ejecting the pilot. In the split seconds after he realized what happened, and the fraction of time before he blacked out at impacting the ground, Heero's thoughts went not to anger that he had failed the mission, not to frustration he had been overconfident both in the abilities of OZ engineers and himself, but to the reassurance his actions had at least guaranteed Duo's escape and safety, and regret they would now be parted before ever truly being bonded. 

------- 

Through the binoculars, Duo began realizing what had happened. He saw the burning hulk of a legged half-sphere lying on the ground next to the shattered corpse of a guard Leo. Quickly scanning the area to find any sign of Heero, he could barely distinguish the white-clad body lying lifeless beneath the gaping hole in the wall. OZ soldiers were already rushing towards it, guns at the ready. Through the looking-glass, Duo could see one of them poking at the body with the muzzle of her rifle, turning the face-down Heero over. Heero wasn't moving. The soldier knelt down, one hand reaching for the throat, ear positioned over Heero's face. Duo felt the knot in his stomach twist again. The soldier cried out, and the word Duo read on her shouting lips was all that prevented him from vomiting; 'Medic'. If nothing else, Heero was still alive. Soon after, the unconscious boy was strapped to a stretcher, being hurried away to who-knows-where. Perhaps the infirmary, perhaps directly to an interrogation room, or just to a holding cell. 

Duo tucked away the binoculars, biting his lip in frustration. The slight taste of blood in his mouth only fueled his anger. Why had Heero taken such an intolerable risk, using the suit like that? Sure, their mission was completed, provided he brought the disc back to the safehouse, and uploaded the contents - but that wasn't good enough. Questions raced through his mind, seeking answers he could not fathom. _Why did Heero force me to make that stupid promise? Why did he turn so damn cold after the mission orders came through? Why had he created a battle plan so evidently flawed? Why-_ And it hit him. Out of concern. Heero would never have admitted it, but that was what he had meant earlier. He cared - for Duo, for the mission - but not for himself. He had seen the hopelessness of their situation while making the battle plan, and done all he could to relieve Duo of guilt, should anything go wrong, as it had. Intentionally sparking anger beforehand might make the potential loss easier - that had to have been what Heero had thought. Still, it was wrong. The slight anger was not enough to compensate the loss. Now, left with the choice of breaking an empty promise to fulfill the mission, or live with a guilty conscience for the rest of a lonely life, however short that might be - the choice was no choice at all. 

As the snowmobile's engine roared into the clearing night sky, the Caped Crusader flew like a bat out of hell towards the OZ base, carrying its dark knight in white, its God of Death, on a mission of mercy - or vengeance. 

  
  
  
-------------- 

AN: That wasn't so angstish, was it? Anyways, onwards to the next bit. *looks at draft for part six*. Sheesh, these grow longer and longer. Now, I _could_ split part six in two, but... Nah, I don't think you'd like that. If all goes well, it ought to be done in a week - that'd be the... *looks at calendar* -the 13th. Hope you'll still want to read it. ;-) 

TBC, if requested. 

  
  
  
  
  



	6. Unraveled

  
**White Plain**   
#6 - Unraveled   
  


AN: Okay, this note will be a tad long, so if you're impatient, you could always jump down to the dotted line and get on with the story. 

*watches everybody disappear* 

... Drat, perhaps I should have thought to thank readers and reviewers alike before they all vanished. Oh, well. 

...which leads to another thing - I know I ask for reviews all the time, something that I do with a slightly guilty conscience, as I offer none in return. *lowers head in shame* See, I tend to be blunt - _very_ blunt, and I'd rather not dishearten writers with unwanted harsh words. Thus, I won't give reviews unless asked to. Don't mind getting harsh words myself, though. I like critique. 

That's another thing - I'm a bit baffled there's been only one or two comments on spelling/grammar/sentence structure. As English ain't my primary language, I'm prone to make a few odd mistakes and weird sentences in English, and as I'm my own betareader the mistakes should be plentiful. Good thing I have a spellchecking program, that removes the worst blunders, though not the 'logical' ones. 

Oh, before I forget - Duette, I believe you answered your own question - you appear to suffer from a bad case of 'life' taking up your writing time. I, on the other hand, have no such ailment. ;-) 

If you want a more in-depth answer, or just discuss scribbling or somesuch - that goes for all of you out there - my email is cleverly hidden in my profile. It's so much easier to use that over asking/answering through reviews for "complex" questions. :-) 

This should be the second-to-last segment of this story. *dodges tomato* Hey, I think I warned at the very beginning that this was to be a relatively small thing. Also, the last piece, though mostly drafted, is giving me a slight headache. It'll be considerably shorter than this part, that's for certain. However, since a few of you seem to actually _like_ this story, for some incomprehensible reason, I've begun plotting and planning on a sequel series thingummyjig - with _heavy_ emphasis on begun. Don't expect it any time soon. Have a few other "projects" I might scribble down in the meantime, though. 

*looks at lines above* Hrm... I think that's all. Okay, on with the story. 

-------------- 

Lost to the world, Heero felt as if he was swimming, floating, flying through a thin milky-white ethereal mist, all that could reach him from the world outside forming distant, garbled voices, whispers, nothing comprehensible. _What happened?_ he asked himself, but couldn't answer. Whatever had happened, he couldn't remember. The fog darkened, the voices grew less distant - and his senses came back, one by one. 

Touch. 

Pressure. Pressure along his lurching side and left cheek. He was laying nearly face down on something. Something cold and gritty. _Concrete_, his cheek told him. Around his ankles and wrists, the sensation of enclosing metal. _Shackles_. 

Smell. 

Slowly inhaling, the slightly damp, mossy fragrance of whatever room he had been tossed in, infiltrated his nostrils, along with small whirls of dust bringing him to the edge of a sneeze, barely not pushing him over. 

Taste. 

The dust instinctively triggered a desire to lick his parched lips, but before his tongue moved, it informed of the dryness of his mouth, as well as giving a bitter aftertaste of blood and bile. _Strange... I can't remember being hurt..._

Sight. 

Tentatively, he opened his eyes, gradually adjusting to the dim lighting, taking in the view of the dusty, chilled concrete floor he already knew was there. 

Hearing. 

Two voices behind him, arguing. Long before Heero began listening attentively, he closed his eyes, made sure he didn't move, and slowed down his pulse to fake unconsciousness. He did not want to attract the attention of the two men sitting on the bunk behind him, that much his blank mind was certain of. 

"...should interrogate him, _now_!" 

"Leave him be, Larry. They told us to keep an eye on him, not to start-" 

"I don't care! We're as much prisoners here as he is, and it's _his_ fault!" 

"Calm down, would you? Look, that kid doesn't have a braid, he isn't the same that-" 

"Then he was the one who knocked us out!" 

"That _kid_? Larry, do you really think the sarge would buy _that_ story any more than he accepted the truth?" 

"Look, they pulled this guy out from under the prototype wreckage. He couldn't have been the one who set off the bombs in the computer nexus. The faggot with the ridiculous hair probably helped him." 

Involuntarily, Heero clenched his fist, halting only as his nails were on the verge of piercing skin and drawing blood. Neither action nor pain ever truly registered within his blurred sense of awareness. 

"We don't know that. Regardless, it doesn't matter. If he's out there, they'll capture him too - and when they do, we're in the clear. Let's just sit tight, and things will work out just fine." 

The voices continued their argument. Ever so slowly, Heero recognized the most irate one. The bickering voice of the tall guy who had surprised Duo last time - now identified as Larry - was as condescending and irritating as ever. How somebody so apparently eager to pick fights and quarrels even made it through boot camp, was a mystery. 

Still, the newly acquired knowledge might have best be left unlearned, as the memories from that point up until the present slowly cleared, one after another. Most pleasant, but the last few made it a distinctly sour experience. He had _failed_. No, not completely. His original idea of destroying the backup systems and _then_ find some way to destroy the prototype and escape in the confusion had been literally blown apart. On the other hand, all objectives were terminated, the data was safe, Duo was safe, the mission in general a success, if with one possible casualty - himself. Even so, the idea of having made such a foolish move as getting caught alive - _again_ - was not something the do-or-die soldier within could cope with, and his mind began brooding on it, so much so he didn't notice his breathing became erratic again - but Larry had. 

The tall, brutish man had ended his argument with his partner, walked over to Heero's fallen body, and reached down for his head. Grabbing a fistful of unruly hair, he yanked the boy up to a kneeling posture. Larry shouted something at him, but Heero's mind was already too far gone in its own recursive loops over the issue of failure, all things outside unable to breech the one mantra singing through his brain. _I failed_. 

"Can you hear me, kid?" Larry yanked Heero's head back further, but got no reaction at all. No wincing of pain, no whimpers, no angry or upset glares. If he didn't know better, Larry might have thought he was holding a dead man, considering the unexpressive face and glassy, dull eyes. Grabbing Heero's arms, he pulled him up to shout directly at his face, as if that might be more effective. Of course, it wasn't. Over at the bunk, the other soldier had had enough of this foolishness. 

"Let him go, Larry. He's probably confused, or scared, or still hazed by drugs or painkillers or something. Leave the interrogation for the others, we don't need to get in any more trouble than we're already in." 

"Shut up, Henry. I'll do exactly as I see fit." 

For a moment, none of them moved, Larry glaring angrily at Henry, slowly absorbing the potential harm of his actions. Admitting defeat, he let go of Heero, causing the kid to fall flat on his ass. Only Larry's swift, utterly instinctive and unconscious reaction to grab him prevented his head from slamming into the concrete. 

The inner mantra became stronger, and though nothing outside could get in, the mantra reached out. 

"I failed." 

"What was that, pipsqueak?" 

"I failed," Heero mumbled again, wide open eyes still glazed. 

"What's he saying, Larry?" 

"Think he says he failed or something." 

Henry snickered. "Well, he got that right." 

"I failed," Heero repeated, pulling his knees to his chin, folding his chained arms around his legs, holding them tight, close. Larry let go of him as he slowly began rocking back and forth, every so often quietly mumbling the new mantra. 

"Okay, he's lost it," came Larry's diagnose. 

"He's probably in shock. Leave him be, nothing we can do about it." 

"I could always-" 

"No. We were told to watch him, make sure he didn't choke on his own blood or vomit, or otherwise come to harm. Right now, his only risk is falling backwards, smashing his head on the concrete." Henry took off his coat, bundled it, and offered it to Larry. "Here, place this behind him. Should he fall, he won't get hurt." 

Taking the offered bundle, Larry tossed it on the ground behind the near-catatonic Heero, bundle unraveling slightly as it landed. "You're growing too soft, Henry." 

"Look, I've got a daughter about his age. Think I'd be able to sleep tonight knowing my inaction caused the death of someone that young?" 

This was more than the tall soldier could tolerate. "He's the enemy, damn it! He and his pals just blew up half the base! Don't you give a damn about that?!" 

"Of _course_ I give a damn - I lost many good friends today, we both did. I just don't want to bring my anger out on a mere child." 

"That one's no innocent little kid. He piloted the prototype, don't forget that. No ordinary youngster can do that, not as skillfully as him." 

"Perhaps - but that's for the interrogation staff to find out, not us. We're just to keep him imprisoned and alive until things settle down outside. Once the fires have been put out and the survivors accounted for and treated, it'll be his turn." 

Larry calmed down, and sat down on the bunk again. Sighing, he looked down at the concrete floor, then over at Heero, still slowly moving and mumbling, then at Henry. 

"Think he's faking it?" 

Henry shrugged, and stood up, feeling a need to counter the staleness inertia had begun causing in his slightly over-dimensioned body, and began pacing. "Maybe. I don't think so, though. To me, he looks far gone." 

Henry surveyed the room that had been his quarters for the past two days. Concrete walls everywhere, no windows. One door, solid steel, bars in the tiny window within the steel frame, a shutter on the outside, closed. Two metallic bunks held up by chains along two sides, door in the third, a makeshift bathroom along the fourth side. Just two days, and he already felt the walls creeping in on him. At least the barred ventilation system was operational. Fresh air made the brig doubling as a detention cell that little crucial bit more bearable. If only the company had been the same. 

As he paced towards the door for the fifth time in the cross-room one-man race, something happened to make him briefly crouch, half-expecting the roof to come down, or at least flake off a bit as it had done earlier that evening; a not too distant explosion could be heard very well, felt slightly as the concrete walls shook, giving the dust particles once part of the roof another brief rotation and - after a short while - smelled as scents of gunpowder, fire and dust came though the vent. On the other side of the door, running feet and shouting could be heard. The shutter slid aside just as Henry approached the door, the stern face of his sergeant appearing on the other end of the bars. 

"The fires in the hangar reached the main munitions depot. Blew the roof right off. We got everyone to a safe distance before it went, though." The sergeant paused while looking past Henry and surveying the room, stopping when his eyes reached Heero's rocking form. "What's with him?" 

"I think he went into shock. He's been like that since he woke up a few minutes ago. Went completely unresponsive. Looks like the explosion didn't faze him one bit." 

The sergeant nodded. "Uh-huh. Okay, keep watching him. If he goes unconscious, call for paramedics. I don't want that kid to die before we've had a chance to talk to him." Looking past Henry again, the sarge's glare fell upon Larry. "And _you_. I don't want anything added to the kid's injuries, is that clear?" 

"Yeah, sure..." Larry mumbled, eyebrows closing as he looked away in defiance. 

"Come again, private?!" stated the sergeant, motioning Henry to step aside. 

Larry stood up straight, faced the sergeant, saluted and said, loud and clear "Yes, sir!". Satisfied with this, the sergeant nodded and closed the shutter. Immediately after, Larry made certain to give the door a one-digit salute, before sitting back down on the bunk, muttering an assortment of profanities, often mixed with assorted designations such as 'sergeant', 'bastard' or 'incompetent, fast-tracking traitor'. 

Henry just shook his head, all the while doing his best to hide a smirk and drop the 'I told you so' speech he felt itching in his throat to come out. "You ought to have lost that thorn in your side by now..." 

"I can't help it. I hate the guy's guts." 

"Just because he got promoted, and you didn't?" 

"I was just as qualified, damn it!" 

In Henry's mind, the reasons for Larry's failure for promotion got listed up one by one - however, Henry had no desire to let even one of them slip out. The first item on the list; 'no temperance whatsoever', was a good reminder why it was best not to anger his partner unnecessary. The knowledge of Larry's prowess with fist-fights also served as a good restraint. The tall brawler wasn't dumb, though. Just a bit lacking in grace and social skills. 

"How come you haven't gone beyond private yet? No offense, but you're a bit old for-" 

Henry laughed. "Oh, I'm old, all right - I'm _way_ past forty. A whole _year_ past, actually." The sarcasm of his voice did reach Larry, inept in conversation talent though he could appear. 

"Sorry, didn't mean it like that." 

"Oh, that's all right. I'm used to it. Didn't I tell you I was drafted?" 

"Yeah, 'brought back into the line against my will', I believe you phrased it." 

Bringing all his bulk down on the bunk next to Larry, Henry snickered. "Yeah... Shit, I never thought they'd haul me back to active duty. First, I drop out of the Alliance forces, a good fifteen years, a marriage and a family later the Specials single out my record and pull me back for 'duties not finished'. What a load of bull." 

"Who did you piss off to get that treatment?" 

"Nobody. I guess they just needed people who weren't completely loyal to the Alliance - the kind who wouldn't blabber about what's going on here to an Alliance officer." A tired smile came across his face. "I guess I might get discharged after this. Not like the base is 'secret' anymore. You'll want to be reassigned, right?" 

"If things here are suspended, sure. I have no plans of leaving the forces." 

Henry sighed. "You should. Consider it, I mean. There are great wars on the horizon, this base is proof of that - and in war, people die. Very easily, I might add." 

"So? I intend to stay alive, I have no intention of dying on the battlefield." 

"You think anyone do? Larry, I don't know you too well, and you don't know me too well. We've worked together for over a month, but we never talk. You know why?" 

"Why?" 

"Because you're a pain to talk to, and you're obsessed with proving your worth. Trust me, you don't prove your worth on a battlefield. You might prove it by coming off of it afterwards, and go on living." 

Larry scoffed. "Have you ever been on a battlefield?" 

Henry hesitated for a moment. "I was on L2 when the Alliance first took control of the colonies some twenty years ago. My family was lucky, we weren't hurt, nor made homeless. Just a few weeks later, one of the first plagues to sweep the cluster killed my father. Mother died not long after. I was an only child, so I was left with no ties. I wanted to get away. Easiest way was to sign up for duty in the Alliance, not that they were too fond in recruiting colonials. Anyway, I got in - through sheer persistence, I guess. Not long after getting to the training camps on Earth, they kicked me out. My 'lack of enthusiasm' was the reason, of course. I didn't give a damn about a military career. They'd gotten me down to Earth, literally, which was all I wanted. I felt free. Got a part-time job at a warehouse, met Barbara a year or so later... Things just fell into place. Until they found the nerve to drag me back here." He paused, dreary eyes trying to judge if his listener was still following. "Other than the L2 takeover, I've never been on a battlefield, never as an active fighter. I've seen what war can do, though. It isn't pretty, and certainly nothing to go dreaming about finding glory in. There's no glory there, only misery - and if it doesn't find you right away, it'll creep up on you when you least expect it later." 

Larry snickered, shrugged. "So, you're a pacifist. Figures." 

"No, I'm _not_ a pacifist," Henry countered. "I'd kill anyone deliberately trying to harm my family. _That_ is why I want out of here. I can't protect them from here, I can barely provide for them, far less talk to them, due to the communications blackout." 

"Then why-" 

"Because I don't think a career, a medal or glory is worth risking death for - and you appear to be in search of just those things. Don't be in a hurry to die. If this war intensifies, you risk ending up six foot under with that attitude." 

"Look, I-" 

Larry never got to finish that sentence, as the cell door creaked open, revealing the white-clad brown-haired lockpick behind it, holding a gun aimed at them, finger over his lips. 

"Keep quiet, and I won't kill you. Keep still, and I won't kill you," Duo said with a strong whisper. A second after the instruction, Larry recognized him, as made evident by the sudden grimace of hatred that came across his face. 

"You!" he yelled, standing up, shaking and pointing an accusing finger. Had not Henry grabbed Larry's other still relaxed arm, holding him back from conducting a futile assault, Duo would undoubtedly have fired. However, as he saw the figure sitting at the center of the room, knees held to chin with a deathgrip, gently swaying back and forth and still mumbling incoherently, any thoughts of vindication temporarily fled his mind. 

"Heero!" Without a thought, he ran over, only underway taking in the strangeness of not getting a reply, and remembering there were two others in the room. Duo sat down next to his partner, facing the two other occupants of the cell, raising his gun to remind them to keep their distance and silence. With his free hand, he grabbed Heero's shoulder, shaking it slightly. It didn't stop the mantra from being whispered over and over again. 

"I failed... I failed..." 

"Hey, Heero. Heero!" Noticing the glassy, empty glare, he waved his hand before the wide-open blue pools. No reaction whatsoever. Redirecting his focus to the two OZ soldiers, he stood up, anger overcoming him again. With a lowered, ominous tone to his voice, gun held with both hands, aim constantly shifting between the two potential targets, he nearly shouted "What the heck did you do to him?!" 

Fortunately for both privates, Henry spoke first. "We didn't do anything to him. He went catatonic the moment he came to. He's been muttering the same thing over and over again ever since. I think he's gone into shock or something - they shot him up with painkillers, this could be a side-effect." 

Hesitating for a moment, Duo looked back at the rocking form, suddenly noticing the crumpled jacket behind Heero. Eyes growing wide, mind racing and jumping to conclusions, only the slightest nagging thought that gunfire would attract unwanted attention prevented him from immediately discharging his weapon. The barrel froze as it pointed at the spot directly between Henry's eyes; aimed to kill the only soldier lacking a jacket. 

Again, the middle-aged man would be saved by his wits. He had noticed where the enraged young man's gaze had fallen, and bit by bit, he traced Duo's thoughts. As calmly as he could, he said "Now, son - put away that gun before someone gets hurt. Nobody has been so far." 

"Liar!" 

"The jacket is there to prevent him from hurting his head, should he fall backwards. We haven't done anything to him." Duo appeared less than convinced, but hesitated. "Look," Henry continued, "You met us in the hallway two days ago. You heard Larry's opinions. I know at least one of you found my wallet - it was missing quite a bit of cash. You couldn't have gotten to that without seeing the photos. Neither of us would ever do what you suspect, I assure you." The gun began trembling slightly. A single despairing tear streaking his cheek, Duo stepped back next to Heero, crouching down. 

"Stay put, and stay quiet!" he commanded the two soldiers. 

The second the watchful gaze was off him, Larry's hand began moving, signaling as fast as it could to Henry. _Let's attack while he looks away._ Henry just gently shook his head, mouthing the words _We wouldn't make it. Stay put._ Larry clenched his fist. 

Duo virtually screamed into Heero's ear. No reaction. 

He pinched Heero's arm, hard. No reaction. 

Looking down at his free hand, he reluctantly brought the palm in fast across Heero's cheek. No reaction. 

"Heero, snap out of it, damn it! We have to get out of here!" For a moment, he considered just taking the chained boy over his shoulder, and make a dash for it. He knew that would probably be futile unless he could get another vehicle than the awaiting Caped Crusader. He wouldn't be able to steer, throttle and hold on to Heero at the same time. Momentarily remembering he wasn't alone with Heero, he looked over to the OZ troopers still sitting in silence as instructed. _Good, so they aren't all idiots._ Gun still in his right hand, he put each hand on a shoulder, shaking his partner fiercely. "Wake up, damn it!" 

As Henry spoke again, Duo swiftly turned to reacquire the target. "Son, he's in deep shock. Whatever it is he considers failure, it obviously overloaded his mind trying to accept one." 

Taking in the words, Duo looked back at Heero. "Failure. Always obsessed with failure and success. Damn you, Heero." He brought his free thumb and index finger to pinch the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes for thought for but a second. _Aw, hell. Treat shock with counter-shock,_ came his mind's answer. Quickly, he snaked his left hand around Heero's neck, tilted his head, leaned in and kissed him. And kissed him. And kissed him. Seconds passed, growing to a minute. Over by the bench, Larry's hand was desperately signaling, but constantly warned off in return. 

At last, there was a reaction. 

Heero blinked, bizarre pleasantness of the moment overcome by the need for air as he pried Duo off of himself with chained hands. "D-Duo - what-" 

"Heero! You're back!" Smile as wide as the moon, Duo hugged him. 

"What- where-" Heero mumbled, head still a bit fuzzy, courtesy of lack of oxygen and Duo. In a fury, the thoughts came back. _I failed._ As Duo's hold of him tightened, the thoughts intensified. _Oh, shit. I _totally_ failed._ Again, he pushed Duo away. "What the _heck_ are you doing here?!" 

Duo brought his gun back to bear at the other two inmates, left wrist rapidly swiping across a moist eye. "Saving your butt, what does it look like?" The shackles on Heero caught his attention again. "Here, hold this," he said, tossing the gun to Heero, who instinctively grabbed the loaded weapon, aiming it at Larry and Henry. Duo reached for the same lockpicks he had used on the door not long before, and set to work on the shackles linking Heero's ankles. Nary half a minute later, they were off. The handcuffs followed clanking to the concrete shortly after. 

Heero had stopped himself from reminding Duo he could have broken the shackles with sheer force. It would serve no purpose to distract Duo with such things now, not at the rescuer's moment of glory. Besides, the brute force method would have left the clinging metal on him indefinitely, and losing that minute feeling of imprisonment could do nothing but good. 

"Where's your wind jacket?" Duo asked, noticing its absence. 

"I don't know - they must have taken it when they took my gun." _My gun!_ Immediately, he brought the barrel to Larry's forehead, wanting to make it a quick inquiry rather than extensive interrogation. "Where?!" 

Larry was a bit too shell-shocked to say anything coherently. Henry answered on his behalf. "Either at the sergeant's quarters or at the infirmary. If you want to get out of here, I suggest you abandon any thought of retrieving-" 

As he was speaking, both Heero and Duo were out the door, bringing the steel construction to a close behind them. Duo bent down to tinker with the lock again, while Heero glared through the opened shutter. "You two, stay put, and you'll live. Move, or call for help, and you'll die. Got it?" 

"Got it, son. Your friend already told us as much." Henry replied dejectedly. 

The shutter closed. Not before had the footsteps outside grown distant, Larry jumped up. "Okay, they're gone. Come on, we have to warn-" 

"No, Larry. We don't." 

That comment earned Henry an enraged glare and a threatening fist. "What?! They're escaping! We have to-" 

"No, we don't have to do anything. We'll sit tight. We won't do anything to aid their capture." 

If it were possible, the tall brute would undoubtedly have turned even more furious. "You traitor! They're _terrorists_, damn it! We have to stop-" 

"You fail to see something, Larry," Henry calmly stated, leaning back, folding his hands behind his head. "They didn't kill us two days ago. They didn't kill us now. They could have done it so easily both times. Last time, they might have had something to lose, I don't know. This time, they had nothing of the kind." 

"That's _their_ mistake! I'll-" 

"No, you won't. Larry, they didn't kill us, so we won't do anything to kill them. The violence has to end somewhere, friend." 

"Don't you _dare_ call me that. They murdered-" 

"Yes, they did - but we're alive. If you're ever to survive, as a soldier or just in life, learn to make compromises. You can't win them all." Pausing a moment to see if his enraged fellow inmate calmed down, Henry continued. "Regardless, if they run to the infirmary, they'll pass at least two security cameras, and you know the sarge has one in his office. Somehow, I don't think they'll bother with stealth now, so we should have the evidence we need of one braided terrorist being at the base." He smiled. "Sometimes, the truth _does_ set you free, Larry." 

Larry was still fuming, but much less so. He sat down on the bunk again. "I don't like this plan. The sarge would never believe us - and what if they spot the cameras and destroy or avoid them?" 

"In that case, we play our other hand. We - discretely, of course - blame the sarge for the break-out. After all, he left two _unarmed_ soldiers incarcerated for disciplinary reasons to guard a violent, obviously strong terrorist. How do you think the higher ranks would react to that little tidbit? Court-martials can be so scandalous..." 

"Okay, and just how do we convince any investigating committee we didn't aid the terrorists in escaping?" 

Henry turned to him, still smiling. "Ah, that's where we'll have to compromise truth to _remain_ free, friend. We'll say that the long-haired kid came in, threatened us at gunpoint, freed his apparently _very_ good pal..." 

"Well, that's truth, isn't it?" 

"Yes, but here's the compromise. We say the terrorists knocked us out, and by the time we woke up," Henry said as he looked briefly at his watch, "some ten minutes from now, the cell door was locked, and the two young men long gone. That's when we notified security." 

For the first time for the day, Larry actually appeared a bit amused, giving a half-smirk. "And just how do we make that story convincing enough?" 

Henry sighed. "Well, you're good with your fists, you figure it out. Given time to prepare, I think I could give you a solid, convincing bump on the head, too." 

"We might trick an investigation committee with that, but the sarge would never fall for it." 

"Sure he will. As you're so fond of pointing out, the man's a fool." 

Larry gave him a surprised look. 

"Hey, it's the truth. He's a good soldier, but he's an idiot. Some things just can't be denied." 

And they both laughed, albeit quietly. 

------- 

The visit to the infirmary had produced Heero's missing outer clothing, and the precious gun had been retrieved from the sergeant's quarters not long after. All that was left, was to get away, leaving the two boys running towards the exit. As they came to another corner, Heero overtook Duo in their informal race to the finish. _Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin',_ Duo thought. _Will that guy _ever_ cease to amaze me?_ He did his best to keep up, as he saw Heero's back getting even more distant. _Why do I keep saving this guy's butt anyway?_ he silently mused. As his gaze dropped, the answer was revealed. Duo grinned to himself. _Because it's worth it, that's why._

They came to yet another intersection. Heero was already running straight down the corridor; the wrong way. "Hey, this way!" Duo shouted, motioning down another hallway. Skidding to a halt, Heero turned and followed him down the new passage. 

At last they emerged into the night of the slowly dying blizzard. Remarkably, the hallways had been empty, as was the immediate area outside the side entrance they went through. In the distance, the bright flames of an extensive fire could be seen licking along one side of the hangar. The few soldiers not already busy digging through the demolished hub of the research complex for survivors, were desperately trying to douse the flames with whatever they could find, and move anything that could be moved away from the hungry fire. Another blast produced a tongue of red as it engulfed another ammunitions crate. Heero looked at Duo, one eyebrow raised, smirking slightly. "Your handiwork?" 

"I wish... No, mark that one down to OZ incompetence. Sheesh, placing so much ammunition in a unshielded area. I've said it before and I'll say it again - they're all nuts." 

"As opposed to you?" 

"Hey, watch it. Don't insult your ride for the day," Duo warned. He guided Heero along the complex wall. 

"Ride?" Heero asked as they kept running. 

"Yeah, I parked the Caped Crusader just around this corner," Duo said, turning his head just long enough to flash Heero a significant grin. Heero just looked puzzled back at him, and shook his head. 

"Caped-... I don't even want to know..." He mumbled. Against all odds, he was heard, though not by anyone willing to grant the wish. They rounded the corner, and the snowmobile with the tarpaulin-and-iron-bar cape appeared. 

"_This_ is the Caped Crusader. I put the tarp on to mask the tracks. Like it?" 

"Love it, as long as it gets us out of here," Heero replied. 

Duo straddled the seat, started the engine and put his hands on the handlebars, revving the engine. Heero sat down behind him. "Hang on tight, Heero - this might get a little bumpy." 

So commanded, so done. Though Heero only kept his arms casually around Duo's waist at first, the lock intensified as the madman in control of the vehicle drove at an insane pace along the fence, twisting and turning to avoid debris from the explosions. Suddenly, Duo turned right towards the center of the compound. "Hey, what are you doing?" Heero shouted, hoping he was heard over the thunderous roar of the engine. _No wonder Duo had picked this vehicle. It's a freakin' twin spirit; loud, flashy, fast and completely reckless._ His grip around Duo tightened even further, just in time too, as the vehicle was brought into a tight turn, sending the rear and the cape skidding along the thin layer of snow in the open compound yard. _Okay, I can tolerate reckless, if only it includes wreck-less,_ his mind added as he dared open his eyes again. The engine roared once more, and the Caped Crusader raced with unprecedented speed towards one section of the fence. _What the-_ Heero barely had time to notice the fence had a gaping hole in it, snow from the outside creating an onramp to the thick coat of white outside the compound. He stomached a scream while Duo let loose a rebel yell, as they both flew through the air on a machine never intended for flight. Or rough landings. Heero whimpered slightly upon the impact. Duo chose to curse, just a little. 

After completing a large half-circle to avoid any prying eyes from the base, Duo turned the Crusader to head for the safehouse. After asking Heero to relax his deathgrip just a little, another thought suddenly began bothering him. 

"Why aren't we followed?" 

Heero, still doing his best simply to remain aboard the wild ride, answered with a clever "Huh?" 

"I said, why aren't we followed? Those idiots in the cell should have sounded the alarm by now." 

"You think the alarm hadn't sounded _already_?" Heero retorted. 

"You know what I mean." 

"Yeah, I know - but you shouldn't tempt fate by asking." 

Indeed, Duo shouldn't have, for but minutes later, the unmistakable sound of a bullet zinged past them. 

"There's your answer," Heero said, reluctantly releasing one securing arm to reach for his gun. Turning around, he glimpsed three snowmobiles in pursuit, all manned by just one, giving them a speed advantage over the overloaded Crusader, cape, two passengers and all. _Well, that isn't necessary anymore..._ Heero grabbed one of the corners stitched to the seat with what looked like chicken wire, and ripped the whole thing clean off, letting the tarpaulin cape and a chunk of seat cover flutter as it fell away, forcing the pursuers to evade. 

"Sheesh, are you making it a _habit_ to vandalize my vehicles, Heero?" 

Heero completely ignored the comment, he had more important things to deal with than exchange clever comments with the braided jester. He tried aiming at the closest of the pursuer, fired, and missed by miles. The angle and movement made even his marksmanship insufficient. He tried again, missed again. The three soldiers closing up on them were fortunately equally inconvenienced, each bullet missing them, none even coming close to graze them, far less hit. Still, even the worst of shooters can get lucky. Getting enough of the odd, twisted firing angle, Heero turned front again, free left hand slapping the elbow of Duo's left arm. 

"Up," Heero commanded. As Duo complied, Heero put his right foot on the seat, used his left arm to grab Duo's right shoulder, and twisted himself around Duo, straddling his lap, facing backwards. Letting his arms snake around Duo's waist yet again, Heero rested his chin on Duo's left shoulder, raised his gun, now with both hands, and fired. The increased stability helped greatly, but it wasn't enough. He drew his arms tighter, using Duo for support as much as possible. Aim. Fire. Hit. One of the pursuers fell off his vehicle, clutching his right arm. The other two backed off slightly, but soon regained their nerve. 

Shifting slightly, Heero aimed again. Fire. Miss. Return fire. Big-time miss. No wonder, really. The soldiers following them had to both steer and shoot, something not too easy to do. They still had the advantage of numbers and speed, and judging by the way they were rapidly approaching, zigzagging to avoid Heero's shots, they knew it too. Again, Heero shifted his position just a bit, trying to get a perfect line of fire without obstructing Duo's control of the vehicle. Fire. Near miss. Again, he moved. Resting his head on Duo's shoulder at least gave him an ability to speak to the driver. What could possibly be the danger in distracting the driver at this point? Another shift. 

"Duo, quit poking me already!" 

The voice _did_ distract the driver. Duo looked over Heero's shoulder, down at his hands, both firmly gripping the Crusader's controls, and was left a bit puzzled. "What the heck are you talking about? I'm tryin' to steer here, if you haven't-" Heero moved again, and suddenly, Duo got what Heero was getting at, blushing slightly. "Damn it, I can't _help_ that! Adrenaline rush, heartbeat rate through the roof, this weird outfit and you wiggling in my lap, rubbing against me - how the heck did you _think_ my body would react?!" He yelled back in Heero's ear. 

"Control it, just will it away," came the flat statement. "I'd rather not get distracted from my job at the moment." 

_As if you didn't just make _me_ darn distracted - aw, shit._ Duo made a sudden turn, narrowly avoiding a wide breech in the snow blanket, disguised with fresh snow as it was. Heero was nearly thrown off in the abrupt motion, leering dangerously to one side before a joint effort brought him back in balance. 

"Don't you _ever_ do that again!" he screamed, as he again rested against Duo to fire. 

One of the pursuers failed to see the covered gap, and drove straight into the small chasm, snow swallowing the vehicle and giving the driver a three-second flight. _Two down, one to go._ Heero aimed. Fire. Miss. Counter-fire. Grazer. The hole in the outer fabrics of his wind jacket was definitely not a source for celebration. Even so, it still missed the target - _him_ - something that he should indeed be thankful for. _Must take this one down before he gets his lucky shot..._ For a few seconds, Heero closed his eyes, trying to focus his mind. Using his ears, he tried to hone in on where the pursuing snowmobile was, tracking it. Opening his eyes again, he balanced the barrel as best he could, and pulled the trigger. Hit. The pursuing soldier clutched a wound in his abdomen, bending slightly forward, slowing down to a halt. _Success._ At last, a veil that had shrouded his mind, that nagging thought of failure, was lifted completely. 

He took a few minutes to compose himself, as well as to ensure they were well out of the firing range of the wounded soldier, before letting Duo know they'd shaken their tail. The Crusader slowed down a bit, but not much. Heero kept his tight grip on Duo for that exact reason. Still... 

"Okay, you can get off now." 

Heero didn't appear to hear him. Duo repeated the statement. "Heero, you can get off now." 

"Hm?" came the distanced reply. Duo considered pushing the issue, but if Heero wasn't complaining... hey, who was he to argue - as long as he managed to steer the Crusader despite distractions, that is. 

Only several minutes later did Heero appear to emerge from whatever faraway place his thoughts had brought him. Not thinking, he leaned a bit back, wanting to speak to Duo face to face, yet nearly causing them to topple over as Duo lost sight of the invisible road between the hidden rifts in the snow. Realizing the mistake, he returned to rest his head on Duo's shoulder, gesture returned on his own. Stability was recovered, and the drive resumed. For a few moments, Heero forgot the question that had bothered him. As it returned, he was adamant to get an answer. He turned slightly to face Duo's ear better. 

"Duo, why did you come back for me? I thought I _ordered_ you to get the disc to safety, no matter what! Mission first, remember?" 

The reply was laughter. "Heero, if you really think I'd ever bother listening to you unless it served my own agenda, you're seriously mistaken. No way I'd just abandon you in there, you ought to know that." 

"I would." 

"Would what?" 

"Have abandoned you." 

Duo grinned, slightly biting his lower lip before answering. "Somehow, I don't think so - when we got here the first time, you told me to meet up with you at the entrance - and just _who_ came to get me out of the tight spot I'd strolled right into, hm?" 

Heero didn't answer. 

"Heero, you'd better get used to the idea - I'm your _partner_, not your subordinate." He paused for a second, smirking. "And I mean that in just about _every_ possible way." 

Upon hearing that, Heero again leaned back, this time to direct a slight glare at Duo. The Crusader slowed down, first to a crawl, then, as Heero more or less attacked Duo's lips with his own, to a halt. 

Taken slightly by surprise, Duo was the first to suffer respiratory problems, breaking the kiss. While he was busy trying to regain his breath, Heero again twirled around him, resuming the seating behind him. As the arms of gundanium wound their way around Duo's waist yet again, Heero leaned in close to whisper in his white-clad dark knight's ear "Want to fight over it?" 

Regaining his senses, Duo turned slightly to reply. "Fight over it? Sheesh, aren't you the traditional caveman..." 

Heero's lips nibbled at his earlobe. "Ogh, ogh. You mine. Go cave." 

Again, Duo laughed. "Well, you might be stronger, pal - but I'm a lot more agile, and I dare say I've got a tad more creativity than you. I think I could make do, should we ever have that fight." 

Heero smirked. "Guess we could call it a draw." 

"Meaning?" 

"Meaning, we'll do whatever comes naturally. I don't want to push you into anything you don't want to, Duo." 

"Likewise, pal - but I might surprise you yet. With you, there's a great number of things I could consider trying..." 

Smirking at the thoughts provoked, Heero could feel his cheeks flush for what seemed the hundredth time in the last few days. This time, however, he didn't bother try to control or hold it back. After all, what was the point in that? 

"We've rested long enough. Let's get back to the safehouse, Duo." 

"Aye, aye, sir. Go-go-Duo-mobile!" Duo shouted, as he revved the Crusader's engine, delighting in the noisy engine's roar into the dark quiet night. "Hang on tight, flyboy." He nearly missed the comment murmured in his ear, which would have been a pity, considering the amusement it provoked when combined with one guiding, pointing index finger. 

"To the cave, batman..." 

------- 

They had nearly reached the loghouse when the tranquility of the night - if you disregarded the snowmobile - was broken by the wailing of a grenade shell, missing them by far, but creating an impressive white volcano as it impacted and detonated on the plain of snow. They both turned around to identify the new threat, but couldn't make any enemy silhouette out from the darkness. Heero reached into Duo's inner jacket pocket, searching for his collapsible binoculars. His own hadn't been at the infirmary nor at the sergeant's office. Presumably, they had been broken in the fall, and the OZ troopers had simply discarded them. 

Even with the enhanced perception provided by the binoculars, it took some time to locate the source of the shell. 

"Three Tragos suits. Figures. Their hovercraft legs make them a lot better suited than the Leos out here." 

"Well, that's just dandy. We'd better get to our gundams before they learn how to target - hold on, Heero, I'm about to see just how fast this thing can go!" And with that, the Crusader threw itself forward faster than ever before. Heero resisted the urge to scream. _Fine, I'm riding with a damn suicidal maniac. Ah, hell. If we die, we die together._ And for some bizarre morbid reason, that prospect didn't sound all that bad. 

The Tragos suits weren't that fast, nor were they really adapted to night or frontline combat. They were designed to act primarily as artillery support, and for that reason these suits lacked any real close-combat or precision weapon. The sheer explosive power of a single shell was more than a serious threat for two unshielded humans on a skimpy vehicle, however. 

Three more shells were lobbed their way, two landing far ahead, creating massive craters the Crusader barely swerved enough to avoid. The last landed not far behind them, sending a mist of powdered snow over them. A mixed blessing it was, as it obstructed the aim of the pursuers, though nearly caused the Crusader to topple over as its driver got taken slightly by surprise at the sudden snow shower. 

"Heero, get ready, we're almost there." 

Heero tightened his grip around Duo's waist slightly, affording himself one more hug before loudly mumbling in his partner's ear "Don't bother to stop - I'll let myself off..." 

Before Duo could turn to argue, he let go, jumping off the Crusader and rolling along the snow, slowing down to uncurl to a halt at Wing's feet. On the speeding vehicle heading for the black sentinel, he saw Duo glaring at him, waving a warning fist. _Okay, so maybe I should have waited for his reply..._, he thought with a slightly pained half-smirk, affording a swift rub on a battered elbow before scaling the huge war machine, seating himself in the giant's bowels, waking the powers stored within. 

The makeshift tarpaulin hallway was ripped apart as Wing's left arm rose its shield to deflect the next barrage of Tragos fire. Though the block had been done on reflex, the lack of power in the impact told him something the monitors showed him seconds later - it wasn't Tragos grenades, but Aries rifle rounds. _Great, reinforcements arrived after all. No matter, they didn't bring enough. They never do._

Out of the dark skies, through the scattering sky cover, three OZ mobile suit carriers appeared, hornet's nests spewing out their occupants - Aries suits - as if these were wasps; usually only fatal in large numbers, but plenty bothersome as just a few. Bright beam of Wing's buster rifle serving as a flyswatter, two of the inbounds met their fate. The rest scattered, one coming in much too low, earning vivisection by scythe. 

Heero turned his attention back to the Tragos as another artillery shell landed between Wing and the cabin, causing considerable collateral damage to the latter, southern log wall shattered to splinters. Seeing the feeble furniture within ablaze triggered a fire within Heero, a strange feeling of loss overcoming him as the bed he and Duo had shared for two nights - pillows, quilts, blankets and all - became flame fodder. Wing's engines lit up, sending the suit hovering fast across the white plain, intent on removing the perpetrator. 

------- 

On one of Deathscythe's monitors Duo saw his partner race across the snow, and as Wing moved, he saw the damage done by whomever Heero was going after. _Damn it! I wasn't done with that bed,_ Duo's mind fumed, as he brought his scythe down and through yet another wasp coming much too close for its own good. 

The soft plain was definitely not the ideal place for Deathscythe to fight - without more than limited flight capacity and no good footing, the black giant was at a distinct disadvantage. Jumping sideways to avoid incoming missiles, the suit slid when impacting the ground again, falling on its rear. With a flash in green eyes, the giant's head turned, twin vulcan cannons avenging the insult. _Seven down, fourteen to go,_ Duo briefly reasoned, before revving his big pal's engines to raise to the skies again, reaper's swoop claiming yet two more Aries in the large arc of the jump, snow sent flying anywhere upon meeting the ground again. 

------- 

The defenseless Tragos trio could but attempt a retreat before being cut to metal ribbons by beam saber, desperately hurling shells toward their previously elusive target, to no avail. Aries twins attempting to intervene, was served the same sentence. Securing a footing, Heero brought the buster rifle to bear at the nests high above turning to escape the battlefield. One wide beam pulse ensured two of them never would. Taking aim for another shot, the last carrier was fortunate enough to duck behind one of the few remaining clouds. Still, it would not be enough. Changing Wing to flight mode, Heero went into pursuit. 

------- 

By the burning cabin remains, Duo was busy fending off yet another trio of Aries intent on his hurt - something they were ever so slowly able to, sheer rate of fire causing the tiny bites to become noticeable as their numbers increased. Undeterred, Deathscythe crouched before leaping like a tiger into the air again, beam blade drilling into one suit, powerful swing of the scythe sending the punctured Aries hurling into a companion, sending them both crashing into the ground, fiery wreckage melting a crater in the white. 

------- 

From his point in the sky, Heero noticed the threat Duo did not; two Aries suits landing in the distance, readying what looked like a huge beam rifle. _A space laser,_ Heero deducted, sending Wing flying down to intervene, one hand reaching to activate the communications systems. 

------- 

Whirling vulcans wrought wide holes in the thin armor of one Aries, while the glowing blade of a scythe cleaved its nearby sibling in two. _Nineteen,_ Duo mentally noted. _Now where's the last-_ Heero's agitated voice over the comm line rattled him out of his thoughts. 

"Duo, look out!" 

Long before he could react, however, the light of the space laser streaked towards him, white-hot horizontal pillar ready to strike Deathscythe's turning form, when Wing crashed into the black giant, sending both suits tumbling sideways, though not before the hungry beam found its meal in Wing's side, albeit for but a second. But it was enough. Wing crashed on its side, flakes of gundanium flying everywhere as it halfway buried itself in the snow. 

"Heero!" Duo yelled, not taking the time to listen for replies, as he sought out the two missing from his count. From its seated position, Deathscythe raised its left arm, and sent the buster shield flying, bright plasma shining between spinning teeth as it soared through the air, whirling up the thin top layers of snow as it homed in on its targets, drilling through the last two enemies in one swoop. 

Duo's breath was erratic, his forehead covered in sweat, heart pounding from the surge of adrenaline, now empowered further by concern, fright, even terror. As the dimness clouding his thoughts cleared, he slowly retraced the last few minutes in his mind. "Hee... Heero?" he near whispered, not getting any answer. On his right screen, he saw the light in Wing's eyes fading away, hatch of its cockpit slowly opening - and its pilot tumbling out and down on the snow, coming to a complete halt on the cold, white blanket, apparently asleep to the world outside. For the second time in a night, the hero had fallen. 

  
  
  
-------------- 

AN: *looks at warnings given in chapter one* Hrm... Drat, I forgot to sneak in 'death'. Guess Heero will live, then. I _did_ write blood and violence, though... *evil grin* 

Nah, I'll be kind. As the next is the last segment, it could get sappy. And it'll be considerably shorter. Still, I'd like time to finish the draft and do some proper editing - want to get the ending "right". So, let's say... one week? That'd be the 20th. Off to go writing - and remember, feedback influences the draft - at least a little. ;-) 

TBC, if requested. 

  
  
  
  
  



	7. Overtures

  
**White Plain**   
#7 - Overtures   
  


AN: Hrm... Got this eerie feeling I'm pushing this chapter out the door a bit early, but I promised an update today, so that is the way it shall be. To my surprise, the draft managed to nearly double in length during this last week. Guess it goes to show my troubles with writing a decent ending - not to mention, I had to add some hooks in for a potential sequel story. ;-) 

Some 22 % of reviews given to chapter six requests lemon. The rest remains undetermined. Had I been a politician, this would have been a no-brainer. However, I'm not. After all, with the cottage ablaze and two exhausted pilots... No, don't think it'd fit here. _However_... You might want to read the AN at the end after finishing the story. 

Oh, before I forget; Happy Birthday, Aurenne. :-) 

-------------- 

The time elapsed from pressing the auto-distress signal button, opening Deathscythe's hatch, releasing the safety straps, winching to the snowy ground, trotting through the white over to the fallen and sinking to shaking knees did not pass a minute, but to Duo it felt like a short eternity. 

Using one hand to ensure there was still a pulse, and the wrist of the other to determine respiration, some relief was afforded, as both were present. A quick check made sure there was no bones poking out through skin and flesh, or any massive bleeding gashes. Indeed, of what little visible damage there was, rifts in the thick thermosuit, a few impressive bruises and small, hardly bleeding scratches appeared to be the worst. A broken bone or splintered internal organ was a risk, but Duo hoped neither was the case. Regardless, his immediate goal was to awaken Heero. 

Gentle shaking. No effect. 

Pinching cheek. No effect. 

...but as he raised his palm for a slap, he thought he saw a slight twitch in Heero's left eye. Slightly puzzled, Duo leant in for a closer look - only to be grabbed by a strong hand wrapping itself around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. 

Once released, slightly out of breath, Duo couldn't help but venting his anger. "Heero, damn it. Don't _scare_ me like that." 

"Oh, was the kiss that bad?" came the teasing reply. Still smirking, Heero used his elbows to prop up, then pushing one side to sit upright, arm for support. To his credit, gritted teeth and a slight wince was the only visible sign of pain he allowed to show. 

"You know what I mean. Don't fake unconsciousness like that again." 

"I wasn't faking, I blacked out. Woke up when you pinched my cheek." 

"Then why-" 

"Because I recalled what happened last time that sequence started." Heero's smirk widened steadily. 

Closing his eyes, left thumb and forefinger rubbing the bridge of his nose, Duo counted slowly to ten, sighed and replied. "If you wanted a kiss, all you had to do was wake up." 

"I'm awake now..." came the meek riposte. 

Duo couldn't help but grin. _Alive, safe... no need to keep grudges._ Cupping Heero's cheeks in his hands, Duo leant in to brush his lips against Heero's, only applying the faintest of pressure upon urging. Pulling away, he noticed how those pools of blue were halfway hidden under eyelids, if for but a moment. "There. Satisfied?" 

Heero nodded, smiling. Then, he tensed, wincing slightly, before lying back on the snow. Duo was immediately alarmed. 

"Heero? Everything okay?" 

"Yeah, sure," came the pained answer. "I'm fine." 

"I don't believe you. How do you feel? Broken bones, stomach pains, what?" 

After a slight pause, Heero stated "I don't think I have any internal injuries... And I feel like I've fallen out of a mobile suit twice, being beaten by zealous OZ guards, trudging through snow for hours on end, doing balancing acts on a snowmobile..." 

Duo momentarily closed his eyes and let loose a tired smile. "Okay, let me rephrase - how do you _feel_, Heero. Not what happened." 

"Bad." 

Duo snickered. "Yeah, that sounds about right." 

"I'm bruised and battered, Duo. Nothing serious. I think you've gotten yourself one or two good shiners too." 

"Probably. You've got me beat, though." 

"I _am_ beat. Beaten. Tired. Cold. Hungry. In short, I feel bad." Pausing only to grab Duo's hand and establish eye contact, he continued "But that's okay, since you're here with me." 

Duo bent down to kiss his forehead. "You old softie." 

"And you like me like that. Admit it." 

"I like you, period. I love you, Heero - don't you forget that." 

"I won't," Heero answered, suddenly remembering his actions during the mission. "Ever again." 

"You'd better not, or you'll reap the wrath of the God of Death." Duo grinned, one hand playfully ruffling Heero's tousled bangs. Heero smiled, laughed, laughter turning into a cough and a wince. A thought and a worry came to Duo, he got to his feet and trotted as fast as he could towards Deathscythe. "Stay still, Heero - I'll be right back." 

As he entered the cockpit, he was greeted by two messages, both acknowledging the distress call. One from Quatre, letting them know he and Trowa was on the way. The other from Professor G, who after using the Alliance's own system of spy satellites had determined there were no additional forces heading for the battle zone. Evidently, OZ did not want to draw more attention to their illegal R&D facility than was necessary, and if the Alliance noticed anything in the satellite images, it would be the burning pyre of the larger complex. There would undoubtedly be questions and accusations, which either side would be better off without, but which suited Duo just fine. _Never underestimate the will of the OZ or Alliance brass for damage control and saving of face._ Duo quickly sent replies to both, letting them know Wing was probably incapacitated for the time being, Deathscythe far from in top condition, but both pilots safe, if bruised and battered. _Now, where did I put...?_

Minutes later Duo returned, arms clutching a medkit, blankets, emergency rations and a few other assorted items. He unceremoniously dumped the load next to Heero, and spread one blanket out on the ground. As he leant down to pick up Heero, however, the wounded one refused to simply being carried, and instead sought a supporting shoulder with which to limp over to the blanket. He clenched his teeth again upon impacting the ground again though, something that didn't go unnoticed by his patron. Duo knelt down beside him, taking Heero's hand in his own, giving it a gentle squeeze, waiting. 

"You can be as stubborn as you like, Heero - but I know you're in pain." 

Heero laughed. "No kidding, Sherlock." Smiling, he continued. "It isn't that bad, though. I'll live." After some hesitation, he decided to give Duo what he was waiting for; admittance of weakness. After all, when he barely felt able to move, how could he fake feeling fine? "I'm a bit cold, though." 

Duo grinned, stepped over to the pile of assorted items, pulled out a few thermoblankets, wrapping two around Heero, just for good measure, and the last around himself. He sat down next to Heero, lifting frosty's shoulders, only to let the messy brown mop seek rest in his lap. Carefully, Duo let his fingers softly graze behind Heero's ear, trailing down to and along the jaw, only to turn back for repetition. For a few moments, Heero let his tired eyes close, soothing touch overpowering stubbornness and pride. It did not last, as the cold blue irises were unleashed again as Heero remembered where they were, and what they'd been doing. He made a failed attempt at getting up, startling Duo, falling back to his caresser's lap. 

"Duo - the mission - the disc. We've got to-" 

Duo put one finger to his lips, silencing him. "Hush. We're done fighting for today, Heero. I sent a distress signal to Quatre - he and Trowa will be here long before any more OZ or Alliance forces bother going out here. He said they'd 'stop by' an Alliance airfield to hijack a couple of mobile suit carriers first, though - Wing is grounded for a while, so we'll need alternate transportation. Hopefully, the carriers can do a reasonably safe belly-landing and take-off on the snow. Should be flat and soft enough to avoid major damage." 

Heero was about to continue his interrupted argument, only to be silenced again. 

"And don't worry about the disc either. I have it right here," Duo said, tapping his chest. "Right here next to my heart." 

Heero let a sigh of relief slip, closed his eyes, relaxed and produced a tired smile. Above him, his partner's grin widened as those gentle fingers yet again ruffled brown bangs. 

"Don't worry, Heero - the disc might be close to my heart, but you're _inside_ it." 

Briefly opening eyes, facial expression silently saying both 'thank you' and 'right back at you; mission close, you inside', Heero let his head tilt into the caressing fingers, allowing them both a slight reprieve from thoughts of war and want. It couldn't last, of course - from where he rested, Heero had a front row seat to the rumbling noises Duo's stomach suddenly made. He snickered. 

"Sounds like you need to dig in on an emergency ration pack, Duo." 

Resisting the urge to stick his tongue out as a reply, Duo opted for words and a quick skull grind instead. "Oh, shut up." 

Heero just laughed, transgressing into another coughing streak. Aided by Duo, he sat upright, soothing fingers on his back trying to counter the coughs. He lurched forward a bit, trying to calm his breathing. From the depths of his memory, one of the many mission preparations made three days ago surfaced. With a half-smirk, he peered over his shoulder at his companion. "Duo... Actually I _did_ pack something other than the dehydrated portions." 

Immediately at his highest level of attention, Duo could barely contain his desire to shake, if necessary beat, the nature and location of hinted-at substance. Still somewhat surprised and shell-shocked at the prospect of food - _real_ food - all he could utter was "What? _Where_?" 

"I'm not sure I want to tell you..." 

Duo sighed, then growled in frustration, barely controlling his urge to follow through with his first idea. Heero noticed it all too well, determining he might as well give in before the boy would follow through on the warning given the previous morning; never come between Duo and food - at least not when near starved. 

"I'll give you a clue. When you want to hide something, you try to hide it in the place it's least likely to be found. Now, where do you think you'd be least likely to look for food?" 

Duo just looked quizzically at him, though his mind was pondering away as fast as it could, listing any number of places. Wherever it was, it was probably somewhere right under his nose - otherwise, Heero wouldn't look so smug. _Hide a tree in the forest. Hide food amongst food... And hide it in plain sight._ He turned to the ration packs he had raided from Deathscythe, buried among thermoblankets, medkits and other assorted items. Heero smirked, nodding towards the pile. That was encouragement enough, and the starved pilot jumped at the pile, greedily digging out a few ration packs, struggling with the wrapping. "Just what did you pack, anyway?" 

Heero lowered himself back down on the spread-out blanket, keeping the two wrapped around him tight. "I figured I could pack _something_ other than the standard bricks, but-" 

Duo cut him off, having just unraveled the first pack, holding up two bags of dry powder. "Hey! Thought you said there was _food_ here, no more of this freeze-dried stuff!" 

Snickering. "As I was about to say, I didn't stray _that_ far from mission parameters. Most of those _are_ the standard fare - look for one with a red dot on the outside." 

And so Duo did. And found. And hurriedly ripped the wrapping to shreds, revealing one small cardboard box and two bars. Disappointment. "Raisins and candy bars?" 

Laughter. "Hey, don't look so glum - you wanted something other than the rations, now you've got it. Those should hold you off until Quatre and Trowa arrive." 

Slumping shoulders and neck, sighing and inwardly counting to ten, Duo's anger at being tricked faded quickly enough, and he couldn't help smile at the successful prank. Looking over his shoulder, he said "Thanks," and proceeded to struggle with opening the box of raisins. 

"Is that all I get?" came the meek, yet suggestive questioning reply. 

Duo grinned. Kneeling by his provider, he scooped him up for a hug and a quick kiss, before letting him gently down on the thermoblanket ground sheet, and propping up to a crouch to return to his struggle with the cardboard box, achieving victory at last. Never before had a handful of dried-up, shriveled grapes tasted as sweet. 

At the first mouthful, he took the time to look at the landscape around them; tranquil white plain turned flaming battlefield, wreckage of Aries suits scattered about, the cabin pyre still ablaze, Wing leering next to them, damage signifying it'd be out of commission for a while, Deathscythe standing sentinel beside, not exactly scratch-free either. All in all, it was a sorry sight, but at least he was alive to see it. 

"It's strange. The fury, intensity and noise of a battle never gets to me, but the eerie silence afterwards... I hate it. It isn't the screams, it's when the screaming stops - you know what I mean?" 

"Yeah..." Heero paused. "Still, we're alive, and are going to fight another day, Duo. That's more than you can say for the other guys." 

A sigh followed by a smirk came across Duo. "Maybe. But what difference does it make? Why do we continue to do this, anyway?" 

"It makes a big difference. If nobody opposes tyranny, all but the tyrant suffers. Most people don't have the stomach to fight, not openly, and definitely not alone. They need to be lead. Our gundams serve as symbols for the cause. As for why we keep doing it, it's because we believe what we do will lead to something good. We keep at it for the sake of peace, children, prosperity and posterior." 

"Posterity," Duo corrected, answered by an eager hand first patting, then groping one of his buttocks, causing widening eyes. 

"Speak for yourself," Heero smirked, all too much clarifying his word wasn't a Freudian slip. 

Promptly, the crouching Duo let himself fall backwards, trapping the offending arm by the wrist, crushing it into the blanket and the snow below. Between near-hysterical laughter and curses of the pain caused, Heero tried his best to talk his way free. 

"Ow! Get off!" Laughter. Curse. Pained snicker. "Get off! I'm-" Tortured laughter. "I'm _wounded_, damn it!" 

Duo answered by grinding his butt further down, causing more swears and snickers. "I don't know about that - that hand felt _more_ than healthy enough, thank you very much." 

Far too wrapped up in the twisted mix of pain and pleasure, Heero didn't notice his palm reacted, albeit by reflex, to the crushing of the wrist by reaching skywards, fingers touching- 

Duo noticed however, and the wiggle-fingers ended his revenge faster than anything else could have, launching himself to stand as he did, simultaneously sacrificing some raisins to the snow. "Hey! Don't get so frisky, flyboy! Sheesh, do I have to knock you out cold to get some peace? And to think I was going to ask if you wanted one of the candy bars..." 

Using his relatively uninjured hand to rub the bruised wrist, Heero looked at him with pleading eyes and a half-smirk, slightly contorted by winces caused by nerve signals of pain coming from his past offending lower arm. Duo could no more remain angry versus that face than he could halt his hunger, and he grinned, sitting down next Heero. 

"Okay, okay. I'll share with you - but keep your hands to yourself unless asked otherwise. I don't want to hurt you, but even the injured won't get away with groping - you begin to remind me of some horny old man stuck in a nursing home staffed with young girls, and that is _not_ a good thing. There are more subtle ways of vengeance than violence, pal - and if you go all frisky-fingers on me, I might have to introduce you to some!" Still grinning, Duo gave him a wink to add to the warning. 

Heero, still cradling his wounded wrist where he lay, nodded in understanding. The smug smirk didn't fade, though. "Duo, I have a favor to ask." 

"Sure. Name it." 

Heero looked away for a second, cheeks gaining just a fraction of more color before he dared ask. "Last night, you used my chest as a pillow... Would you be mine tonight?" 

A smile was the initial reply, followed by "That's it? Heero, I'd be yours any night from now on, and you'd be mine too, don't you forget it." 

Smirk. "Thanks, but not exactly what I asked." 

"I know. Just teasing you, flyboy." 

And with that, Duo lay down beside him, helping him prop his head and shoulders to their resting place. Heero wrapped himself as best he could in his two thermoblankets, burrowing the back of his head in Duo's soft outer jacket. Thin paper gave way to hunger as Duo ripped the candy bars out of their shelter, offering one to his partner, offer accepted with a smile and a gentle touch of hands in gratitude, providing arm ending up protectively resting across Heero's chest. 

One bite later, glaring up to the dark skies above where a few stars had begun twinkling, showing their presence, a question popped into Heero's mind. 

"Duo?" 

"Hm?" 

"Why do you keep calling me that?" 

"Call you what?" 

"That 'flyboy' statement." 

"Oh, that. Well, I figured you could use a nickname, and I thought it suited you." 

"How?" 

Duo shrugged. "Wing's the only gundam specializing in flight, so I thought it fit." 

"Oh..." 

"Why? What did _you_ think I call you that for?" 

Heero didn't answer in words, but his slightly reddening cheeks spoke for him. 

"Hey, if I were to go for innuendo, I think I would have chosen something _far_ more embarrassing - 'sides, you wear spandex nearly all the time, so that interpretation of 'flyboy' would kinda lose its punch." 

"Whatever you say, batboy." 

"Batboy? Wasn't it bat_man_ earlier?" 

"You think I'd call you 'man' while you call me 'boy', when we're still arguing over dominance?" 

"Point taken." 

"Good." 

With a grin, Duo remarked "I'll earn it, though." 

"In your dreams, batboy." 

Duo laughed. "Definitely in my dreams, but dreams sometimes become reality," he teased. 

Heero tilted his head to give his pillow a smirk and a soft glare. "Keep dreaming." 

Snicker. "Okay, so what's _your_ reasoning for the nickname - the 'batboy' thing?" 

Ponderance. "You're fond of black, the night... Sometimes, you act as if you were blind, other times like you had a spooky sixth sense - and the way you constantly grin, you bear your fangs all the time." 

"Not bad." 

"Thanks." 

"I refuse to wear the kind of tight-fitting getup the Batman characters used, though." 

Heero grinned. "My turn to dream?" 

Duo smiled. "...and here I thought your dreams were a bit more... 'barren'." 

"Maybe - but where's the fun if there's nothing left to fantasize over?" Heero sighed. "Right now, reality and dream don't seem so far apart, anyway." 

Taking another bite of his rapidly disappearing candy bar, he noted that even though it was better than the standard fare Heero tended to bring along, it was just not enough. The guy had no sense of taste, only of necessities - not that that was _wrong_, it just wasn't... comfortable. "Next time, _I_ pack the food and arrange the lodging, and _you_ handle explosives." 

Tilted head, smirk. "In that case, I'll _definitely_ bring along a few ration packs anyway, as well as prepare to sleep in Wing." 

Duo ruffled Heero's bangs. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. Keep that up, and you'd _better_ prepare to sleep in Wing." 

Smile. "Okay, okay. I'll be good. Wouldn't want to anger the black avenger, now would I?" Finishing his candy bar, he nuzzled deeper into Duo's jacket, and yet another taunt came to mind. "If you want compliments, here's one for you - you make a good pillow." 

Expecting another weak whack to the head for the comment, Heero was a bit puzzled as Duo let one hand slide along his jaw, tilting his head towards the offended. "Heero, I don't mind being your pillow, not like this." Then, the slender fingers proceeded up along a cheek, forefinger gently tapping the points of the next sentence in. "But if you ever call me your mattress, I'll strike you dead. That's a promise." The faint grin hinted against it being a joke. 

Taking a moment to decipher just what Duo had implied, upon comprehension Heero felt the need to vindicate himself. "Duo, I'd _never_ call-" 

Again, the thin fingers silenced him. "I know. It's just that..." Duo sighed. "Some things just can't be forgotten once they're said." 

For a while, none of them spoke. Duo leaned back, propping his hands behind his head for support, looking up at the dark sky above, noticing the tiny sparkling dots that had appeared as the cloud cover vanished. In its own section of the sky, the moon shone big and bright, reflecting a full face of sunlight. 

"Looks like the stars finally decided to shine on us - along with ol' lady Luna." 

"Hn." 

"What, don't you like stargazing?" 

"Not really. What's there to see up there anyway?" 

Just as Heero was pragmatic on the issue, Duo was enthusiastic. "Anything you want! That's always been the thing, hasn't it? Everyone - both people on Earth and on the colonies - have been and still are watching the sky, searching out familiar images, dreaming of what stuff stars are made of." 

Immediately drawing forth a text book answer from his mind, Heero began answering "Stars are made of-" 

Duo abruptly cut him off. "No, I don't want the scientific answer. Sure, they're big balls of burning gas, just like the sun, but there's nothing poetic or entertaining in that answer. Some say the stars are where souls go to die - when you watch one fall, there's one less shining soul to guide us." 

"Shooting stars aren't stars." 

"Damn it, I _know_ that. I bet I studied just as much astrophysics crap as you did. There's just no real _soul_ in those dry, matter-of-fact views of the universe. Best to blend in a bit of mysticism and fantasy." 

"You mean romantic imagery." 

"In lack of a better word, sure." 

Hesitantly, Heero decided to speak of yet another thing that bothered him. "Not sure I have the ability to see them as anything but stars, Duo." 

Duo would hear nothing of it. "Sure you have. Just give it time - and in the meantime, I can always share what I see up there. Would that be okay?" 

Heero smiled, and nodded. "Yeah. I'd like that." 

Again, they both turned silent, watching as the glittering lights above appeared to spark on and off in bursts, bathing them in the faint rays. Neither wanted to break the moment of peace and silence, but at the end, one of them decided to anyway. Remarkable enough, it was Heero, tilting his head towards Duo's to ask a question. 

"Duo, why did you call the moon Lady Luna?" 

Taken slightly aback by the question, Duo took a deep breath as he pondered on a reply. "Well, if I recall correctly, Luna is Latin for moon." 

"Yes, but why use a female gender?" 

Duo sighed. "Guess that has to do with what the moon has always represented to me. Whenever I got to one of the viewports of the colonies in the L2 cluster, the moon was there, watching over us like a protective mother. Of course, up there, the view was so up-close you couldn't see it as anything beautiful. When I was in a good mood, the moon was something positive, the wrinkled face of an old grandmother, perhaps. When I was cranky or sad, its craters and rough surface reminded me of a looted graveyard. From here, though, it's beautiful. Not like we could look for 'mother' Earth - Lady Luna wouldn't let us." 

"What do you mean?" 

Duo grinned widely, incredibly gleeful Heero didn't understand it immediately. "Gee, and to think a moment ago I figured you for a genius in astronomy." 

Heero's face went quizzical, completely puzzled. 

"Okay, here's another clue; When I look in the direction of the moon like I do now, I think of home." 

Still no light bulbs igniting above the messy brown locks. 

No longer able to contain a snicker, Duo decided to push him a bit further, far too amused in stringing the would-be know-it-all along. "Sheesh. _Think_, Heero. Not like this is so damn hard to figure out." 

Heero's mind was racing. He couldn't think of what the American could possibly refer to. What was it up by the moon that- 

And then it hit him. Home. The colonies. 

"...because L2 is up there, _behind_ the moon." 

"Right! At last, the brainiac found the answer!" 

Heero smirked, weak fist punching Duo's arm lightly. Indeed, beyond the moon lay the L2 colony cluster, always orbiting with a view of the moon - a view that was always in direct line-of-sight between the cluster and Earth. Of all the colonies, except the fledgling Martian outposts, the L2 cluster was the most remote, both in location and distance. 

"You can always think of home when you look at the moon too, you know." 

Indeed he could. The L1 cluster was pinned between the Earth and the moon, and in contrast to L2, was the closest cluster to Earth. If he squinted hard enough, he might have made out the largest colonies in the cluster as tiny dark obstructions to the sunlight reflecting in the lunar surface high above. 

"Hey, I just thought of something - do you think Trowa ever even saw the moon - before he got to Earth, I mean?" 

Heero thought it over for a while. He could see Duo's reasoning. The L3 cluster, placed in lunar orbit, just like L4 and L5, only rotating on the _opposite_ side of the Earth, the colonies there could never see the moon directly, as Earth was always in the way. Still, there was a flaw in his hypothesis. 

"I think he did." 

"How? Think he traveled much before Operation Meteor started?" 

"No. I was thinking about his height." 

"His height?" 

"Yes, his height. He's a bit tall. I'm just speculating, but I don't think he was born on the colonies - I think he was born on Earth, and only arrived at L3 not too long ago, triggering a growth spurt due to the lighter gravity." 

Thinking it over, Duo shrugged in slight agreement. "Could be. Not all colonies can maintain the standard Earth gravity of one g. Most fall a bit short. Some fall a lot short - and then there are the permanent residents of the moon. Glad I wasn't born and raised there - it'd make travel virtually anywhere - especially Earth - in the range of difficult to impossible." 

"Unless they train regularly." 

"Yeah... But with all the fun resorts on the moon, who'd want to leave?" 

Heero noted the slight spark in Duo's eyes, and with slight hesitation, he opted to keep the dreams as close to reality as possible. "You'd tire of it if you lived there." 

Duo shrugged. "Maybe. I still think I could get used to dreaming of a long vacation there, though." 

"If we get- No, _when_ we get through this war, we could go there. To the moon, I mean." 

The infamous grin returned. "Really? Think you'd be able to stand me when I let go of all inhibitions?" 

Accompanied by a smirk came the counter. "You don't have that many as it is, Duo." 

Administering another gentle skull grind, though far from in anger, Duo decided to drop the subject. No point in continuing an argument he was likely to lose. Instead, a rather forward question that had been brooding in his mind for a day or two was let out. "Heero, can I ask you a personal question?" 

After briefly considering what said question might be, Heero decided he had nothing he wanted to hide anymore, making avoidance pointless. "Sure." 

"Have you ever made love?" 

For a moment, memories of being strapped to a table, naked, exposed, along his side various objects; sharp, blunt, of all shapes, sizes and types; whips, knives, canes, prods... It was all part of what Doctor J had called torture resistance and resilience training, a test of how far Heero could be pushed physically before cracking mentally. Given a single sentence he was ordered not to repeat, the experiment had begun. For hours, he had been beaten, burned, scratched, cut, poked and prodded, until he had cracked and given up the sentence. After only slight time to recuperate, it repeated. As sadistic and evil it seemed, as much pain as he had endured, the experience had taught him to block out amounts of torture that would easily break a weaker-willed person. To some extent, it had already turned out to be useful, as he could numb the sensation of hurt after injuries, just as he did now. His body no longer bore any marks from the experience, courtesy of Doctor J's care, medical expertise and equipment. He was as skilled with dermal regenerators as he was with fine mechanics. Still, the pain was not what Heero remembered best from the training, nor the lessons he had learned. The strongest memory was that of J's incredibly sad and regretful expression during the whole procedure. Without eyes, it was hard to tell just how badly he felt, but Heero believed the man would have cried openly, had he still had tear canals. The incredibly rare tenderness shown in the aftermath only strengthened that belief. The memory had little to do with Duo's question, and yet, it was what his mind returned. Indeed, the answer seemed clear enough. 

"No." 

Thinking back to his own past, Duo seconded the statement. "Me neither." 

Heero sensed the sadness in his voice, and would not have anything of it. Thinking of the question yet again, he wanted a second chance to answer. "Actually... I think we both have." 

"Both have done what?" 

"Made love." 

"Heero, I obviously can't speak for you, but I know _I_ haven't had sex." 

"That wasn't what you asked." 

"Huh?" 

"You asked if I'd ever made love. And I feel I have - with you." Sensing Duo was about to break his mild surprise with a protest, Heero continued. "No, we haven't had sex, or anything really close to it... yet..." Slight smirk. "But I do feel we have loved, and thus made love - And we still are." 

Duo smiled widely, and for a moment gave up his service as a pillow, sitting upright, forcing Heero to do the same. Looking deep into the sincere blue pools, he leaned in, first but to brush his lips against Heero's, then for a light kiss ever growing in intensity, lasting long enough, but still far too short. Wrapping his arms around Heero, Duo hugged him gently, not wanting to put pressure on their many bruises. 

"I don't know how many bumps to the head you've taken lately, but whatever rattled your brain to its current state, I like it." 

"That would be you." 

Duo hugged him just a bit tighter for that. 

"And a well-placed snowball." 

Laughter. "Gee, way to make me _not_ feel bad about that, Heero," Duo said with a smile as he let the hug end. For a moment, they just sat there, lost in each other, Duo's grip still supporting Heero to prevent the exhausted pilot from falling over. Again struck with a spur-of-the-moment thought, Duo got up only to sit down again behind Heero, letting his arms snake across Heero's chest before pulling them both backwards to face the night sky again. A slight wince ensued as uncomfortable weight was applied to a few choice bruises. Heero didn't resist, but he couldn't help but ask. 

"Duo, what are you doing?" 

Not letting the prey get lose or weigh him down, Duo grinned, simply replying "You've been hugging my back way too much lately. I've got some catching up to do, if we're to be equals in everything." 

Heero snickered, and knocked his head backwards to hit Duo's chest. "Idiot." 

Again, the dark, sparkling sky caught their attention. Briefly thinking of home, another question arose in Duo's mind. "Heero?" 

"Hm?" 

"How do you think the others will react when we tell them?" 

"Tell them what?" 

"That we love each other." 

"Does it matter what they think?" 

"Of _course_ it matters! They're our _friends_. Don't get me wrong, Heero. I love you, always will - but I wouldn't like it if... Well, I wouldn't like it." 

"If they can't deal with it, fine. Fuck them and their prejudice." 

Duo grinned. "Yeah, I'm sure you'd _love_ to do just that." 

Not wanting Duo to get the last laugh, Heero decided to play along. "Well, they've all got nice rears. Why let good things go to waste?" 

Snicker. "Whoa there, flyboy. Think we should sort out our own thing before mixing others in, don't you agree?" 

With a smirk, Heero let one hand out of the thermoblanket cradling him to rub gentle circles in the thigh beneath him. "Probably. Don't think we need to worry about the others. They might be surprised, but they'll come around. Besides, I only want you. I think that's as much, if not more than I can reasonably handle." 

Laughter. The arms wrapped around Heero's chest tightened their grip. "You better believe it, pal." 

Another slight pause ensued, both looking up at Lady Luna, who shone down on them in all her reflected glory. 

"Think Quatre and Trowa will be here soon, Duo?" 

"They should. Hopefully, they got those carriers." 

Heero could barely suppress a yawn. "I'm feeling sleepy." 

Duo's grip on him tightened briefly. "You probably shouldn't fall asleep. You might have internal injuries, or-" 

"I would have both felt and told you if I had, Duo. Doctor J put me through more odd training procedures than you can ever imagine, so believe me, I would know if something other than my heart was messed around with." 

Suddenly slightly concerned, Duo asked "Your heart?" 

"Yeah. Your handiwork. Think you left a few scratch marks at the hatch to get in there." 

Laughter. "Guess I'll have to make amends for that later, then. Doubt you'd mind that..." 

Smirk. "I probably wouldn't." Another yawn, this time unrestricted. "I think I might doze off soon. Sorry." 

Letting one arm rub at Heero's chest, ruffling all the layers of clothes and blankets, Duo replied "Sssh. It's okay. I can stay awake until the others get here, and wake you up when they do. You've taken more of a beating than I have, so it's only fair you get a head start on recuperation. Besides, I want you to get well soon. We have unfinished business." 

Snicker. "I might have to keep you waiting." 

"I'll wait. It'd be worth it." 

"If you say so," Heero whispered, before cradling his head into Duo's jacket, and closing his eyes. "Keep watching the skies for the signal, batboy." 

Duo let his fingers tumble the brown bangs up a bit, before laying his head back to do as he was asked. The ensuing lack of words didn't bother him, for the crackling of the fires around them was more than offset by Heero's steady breathing. 

And in the absence of wind, and in the presence of each other, neither ever felt cold. 

  
  
  
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AN: It's done! Yay! Happy days and jubilation! *tries to calm down* Okay, okay, sorry about that. I'm just thrilled to having finally been able to write something of _some_ length - though I'm well aware there are far greater epics out there, not only in size, but in quality. Oh, before I forget - the placement of the colonies I mentioned above; I'm assuming the Gundam Wing universe colonies are placed in the Earth-Moon LaGrange system. 

To all those who've read and reviewed; Thank you ever so much. Though I'd hate to call favorites among you, I wish to extend a special thanks to diane for those lengthy reviews - they affected the later drafts quite a bit. Another special thanks to kcgal, who took a look at some of my other horrendous stories, and left reviews there too. 

Now that's those things are dealt with... What to write next? Yes, I _know_ I've mentioned a sequel to this - and for those demanding lime/lemon or some such, that might be the place to put such in. Be warned if that's what you wish for, though. I've never written such a thing before. Regardless, I need to work out a few more ideas on that before I dare start writing that sequel, so it'll take a while. I wouldn't want to publish something I couldn't update regularly due to lack of _ideas_, rather than will to write. 

I _do_ have a few other ideas brewing on my sketchpad, though; a few odd one-shots ( which I could probably type up reasonably quickly ), some twisted PWP/lemonish thingies ( as if I'd ever dare write one, let alone post it - not that I could do that here, though. I want to respect ff.net's rules - though boundary searching can be fun. ), a drama/action/adventure story ( though that wouldn't be _explicit_ Shounen Ai, and thus might not be of interest to you ), and then there's a few AUs in historical settings - which _would_ be Shounen Ai/Yaoi, but these would also require a bit of work. Ah, who am I kiddin'? _All_ these stories would require work, and I'm lazy. *sigh* Where's that beta-reader-with-a-virtual-whip when you need one? ;-) 

Now, if any of the incredibly vague descriptions above sounds like something you'd want me to write, feel free to harass me via email. You'd be amazed at how potent nagging can be as motivation. If not, I'll make a ( bad ) choice on my own. I _will_ devote some time to ponder on a sequel for this story, regardless. I just can't make any promises when that'll show. So, for now, thank you ever so much for bothering to read _this_ story, and if you'd be so kind to leave an impression of it in the reviews, it'd be mighty appreciated. 

- end ( for now ) - 

  
  
  
  
  



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